Etymology

Cepheid variable

Today it means: A radially pulsating (expanding and contracting) variable star with a regular period and known relationship between period and intrinsic brightness. Full definition →

Latin Delta Cephei
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

  1. Latin · derived fromDelta Cephei
  2. English todayCepheid variable

From Latin Delta Cephei, the first such star identified. From Cepheus, the name of the constellation in which such stars were first discovered. From being a star with variable brightness.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.