light year
/ˈlaɪt ˌjɪr/
noun
- A unit of distance equal to the distance light travels in one year (about 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion kilometers), used to measure vast distances in space.
- A light-year is a measure of distance, not time, even though it contains the word 'year.'
- Astronomers discovered a new galaxy that is 10 billion light-years from our solar system.
- The nearest star to Earth, Proxima Centauri, is about 4.2 light-years away.
- A very large amount or degree of difference, often used in comparisons.
- Her new computer is light-years ahead of her old one in speed.
- Modern medicine has advanced light-years beyond what was available a century ago.
- The team's performance this season is light-years better than last year.