messier

M3E1S1S1I1E1R1
/ˈmɛs.i.eɪ/

proper noun

A surname from French [in turn originating as an occupation], famously held by

“Messier 31 (M31) is the Andromeda Galaxy; Messier 42 (M42) is the Orion Nebula”

Less commonScrabble 9
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Meanings

messier1

adjective
  1. comparativecomparative form of messy: more messy

Messier2

proper nounMessier (countable and uncountable, plural Messiers)

plural Messiers

  1. countableuncountableA surname from French [in turn originating as an occupation], famously held by
  2. A surname from French [in turn originating as an occupation], famously held by:
    1. countableuncountableCharles Messier (1730-1817), a French astronomer who between 1774 and 1781 published his Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters, a catalogue of deep-sky objects.
    2. countableuncountableastronomyAs a designation, the numbered objects in Messier's catalog are prepended with his surname or the letter M.

      Messier 31 (M31) is the Andromeda Galaxy; Messier 42 (M42) is the Orion Nebula

Cite this entry
APA

messier. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/messier

MLA

“messier.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/messier. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “messier,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/messier.

Source: messier on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.