Meanings
nounspiral nebula (plural spiral nebulas or spiral nebulae)
plural spiral nebulas · plural spiral nebulae
- obsoleteastronomya spiral-shaped white nebula; these were generally determined to be spiral galaxies in the 20th century
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna galaxy having a spiral structure; arms containing younger stars spiral out from old stars at the center
Similar
Broader
galaxyextragalactic nebula
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Cite this entry
APA
spiral nebula. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiral%20nebula
MLA
“spiral nebula.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiral%20nebula. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spiral nebula,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiral%20nebula.
Source: spiral nebula on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.