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cosmic ray
noun
: a stream of atomic nuclei of extremely penetrating character that enter the earth's atmosphere from outer space at speeds approaching that of light
Examples of cosmic ray in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Earth’s magnetic field also prevents cosmic rays from reaching the astronauts.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 19 Sep. 2024
Things like supernova explosions and the solar wind can create cosmic rays with enough energy to make neutrons rain down on Earth.
—Briley Lewis, Popular Science, 5 Sep. 2024
It's made up of three kinds of radiation: particles trapped in Earth's magnetic field, particles from solar flares and galactic cosmic rays, NASA said.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2024
The instruments lie more than a kilometer underground to avoid interference from cosmic rays and other sources of energy.
—Saima S. Iqbal, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cosmic ray
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cosmic ray.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1925, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near cosmic ray
Cite this Entry
“Cosmic ray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cosmic%20ray. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
cosmic ray
noun
: a stream of atomic nuclei of extremely penetrating character that enter the earth's atmosphere from outer space at speeds approaching that of light
More from Merriam-Webster on cosmic ray
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cosmic ray
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