Standard Lemma guide

starquake

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

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Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A violent tremor or quake that occurs on or near the surface of a star, especially a collapsed star.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences

Examples

  • 2000, Richard I. Epstein, Bennett Link, Starquake-Induced Glitches in Pulsars, Kwong-Sang Cheng H, F, Chau, K. L. Chan, K. C. Leung (editors), Stellar Astrophysics: Proceedings of the Pacific Rim Conference, page 96, Starquakes in slowing neutron stars drive matter toward the magnetic poles, distort the star's shape, and excite precession.
  • 2000, Carl Sagan, Jerome Agel, Carl Sagan's Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective [new edition of 1973, The Cosmic Connection], page 260, Should the core be solid, starquakes are expected — a shifting of the matter under enormous stress in the interior of the star. Such starquakes should produce a discontinuous change in the period of rotation of the neutron star. Such changes, called "glitches," are observed.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Blend of star + earthquake.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Polish: trzęsienie gwiazdy — Translations
  • Portuguese: estrelomoto — Translations
  • Russian: звездотрясение (zvezdotrjasenije) — Translations