Milky Way
proper noun
Forms the Milky Way
- proper noun (astronomy) The Milky Way Galaxy, the galaxy in which Earth is located.
- proper noun (astronomy) A broad band of diffuse white light, visible in the night sky; our view of the dense portions of the Milky Way Galaxy from inside the galaxy.
Synonyms
Milky Way Galaxy Local Galaxy Galaxy Silvery River Great Sky River Milky Way System
Etymology
From Middle English Milky Wey, a calque of Latin Via Lactea (literally “milky road”), a calque of Ancient Greek γαλαξίας (galaxías), referring to its appearance as a pale band of stars across the sky. Compare also Old Norse Mjólkrhringr (“Milky Way”, literally “milk-ring, milk-circle”). The reference to the galaxy is an extension of the second sense.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “Milky Way”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details