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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
That affords astronauts some protection from the Earth’s magnetosphere—which shields us from solar and cosmic rays on the ground.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 15 May 2024
Geomagnetic storms trigger high amounts of cosmic rays in Earth's upper atmosphere, which in turn produce carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon.
—David Wallace, CBS News, 14 May 2024
Earth’s magnetic field wavered, and living things were bombarded by cosmic rays, confounding the navigational senses of turtles and porpoises, which beached themselves en masse.
—Zach St. George, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024
Radiation here on Earth also generates cosmic rays.
—Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 23 Nov. 2023
The cancer risk from cosmic rays and the problems that human bodies experience in microgravity could be deal-breakers on their own.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2023
Cosmogenic nuclides are rare isotopes created when high-energy cosmic rays interact with chemical elements in minerals on Earth’s surface.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024
For the last couple of decades, NASA has devoted Voyager's instruments to studying cosmic rays, the magnetic field, and the plasma environment in interstellar space.
—Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 6 Feb. 2024
In the 17th frame of backward-facing time-lapse, a small black speck appears briefly before disappearing, which is a result of a cosmic ray hitting the camera sensor, according to NASA.
—Jon Michael Raasch Fox News, Fox News, 2 Jan. 2024
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 28 May. 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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