Nova Meaning
/ˈnəʊ.və/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounAny sudden brightening of a previously inconspicuous star.
nounEllipsis of classical nova
Sentence Examples
When their home star went nova, their civilization was destroyed.
On the language website, he could not find the selection for Lingua Franca Nova.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Astronomers observed a ____ in the night sky that suddenly shone brightly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Astronomers recently observed a bright ____ in a distant galaxy, lasting several weeks.
Word Origin & History
Feminine nominative singular of Latin novus (“new”). The feminine is used since stella (“star”) is feminine; thus nova is a shortening of nova stella (“new star”), first used in this sense in 1573 by Tycho Brahe.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"In these stellar pairings, if the two stars are close together, the white dwarf will siphon mass away from its companion and have an outburst called a nova. And when the white dwarf accumulates too much mass, it will collapse and explode in a supernova."
— 2024 August 21, Ashley Strickland, “An unusual object is moving so fast it could escape the Milky Way. Scientists aren’t certain what it is”, in CNN, archived from the original on 24 Sep 2024:
"Did you notice the dog which in the winter sports scenes is clasped in the arms of the child-star, Nova Pilbeam?"
— 1935, Berta Ruck, A Story-Teller Tells the Truth, Hutchinson, page 266:
"He murmurs to himself, "Her body is twenty-two, but she is in the infancy of a second life. I will call her Nova, the New One.""
— 1951, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Mercury Press, page 71:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Astronomers observed a ____ in the night sky that suddenly shone brightly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Astronomers recently observed a bright ____ in a distant galaxy, lasting several weeks.