Webster
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Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Nova

No′va (nō′vȧ), n.; pl. L. Novæ (-vē), E. Novas (-vȧz). [L., fem. sing. of novus new.] (Astron.) A new star, usually appearing suddenly, shining for a brief period, and then sinking into obscurity. Such appearances are supposed to result from cosmic collisions, as of a dark star with interstellar nebulosities. The most important modern novæ are: — No′va Co·ro′næ Bo′re·a′lis [1866]; No′va Cyg′ni [1876]; No′va An·dro′me·dæ [1885]; No′va Au·ri′gæ [1891-92]; No′va Per′se·i [1901]. There are two novæ called Nova Persei. They are: (a) A small nova which appeared in 1881. (b) An extraordinary nova which appeared in Perseus in 1901. It was first sighted on February 22, and for one night (February 23) was the brightest star in the sky. By July it had almost disappeared, after which faint surrounding nebulous masses were discovered, apparently moving radially outward from the star at incredible velocity.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Noah Porter, editor (Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913). Public domain. Text as transcribed by MICRA, Inc., from Project Gutenberg. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: Greek, which our source spelled in Latin letters, set in Greek letters; entries of one spelling merged into one article; Greek words our source left out (shown as “?”), read from the 1898 printing, from the same plates (the Library of Congress’s copy), where the place could be found with certainty.