Definition of "starburst" []

• A shape or design with emanating rays that resembles the flash of light produced by an exploding star. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "These superwinds are common in so called starburst galaxies, like for example the nearby M82."
• "These so-called starburst galaxies have long been a puzzle to astronomers, but a new paper published in"
• "NGC 253 is known as a starburst galaxy, after its very intense star formation activity."