Pulsar
/ˈpʌl.sɑːr/noun
A highly magnetized rotating neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation.
Did you know?The word *pulsar* was coined in 1967 by astronomers as a contraction of *pulsating star*, after the first one was jokingly nicknamed “LGM-1” for “little green men.”
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
pulsare
“to drive, beat, strike, or throb”
14th Century
English
pulse
“a beating or throbbing motion; later, the heartbeat itself”
19th Century
English
pulsate
“to beat or throb rhythmically”
1967
English
pulsar
“a rapidly rotating star discovered through its regular radio pulses”
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