astrophysicist
|as-tro-phy-si-cist|
🇺🇸
/ˌæstroʊˈfɪzɪsɪst/
🇬🇧
/ˌæstrəʊˈfɪzɪsɪst/
study of celestial bodies
Etymology
'astrophysicist' originates from the Greek word 'astron' meaning 'star' and 'physis' meaning 'nature', combined with the suffix '-ist' denoting a person who practices or is concerned with something.
'astrophysicist' evolved from the term 'astrophysics', which was first used in the mid-19th century to describe the branch of astronomy dealing with the physical properties of celestial bodies.
Initially, it referred to the study of the physical properties of stars, but over time it evolved to include the study of the universe as a whole.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a scientist who studies the physical properties and processes of celestial bodies and the universe as a whole.
The astrophysicist presented her findings on black holes at the conference.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/05/15 08:33