red giant
noun Astronomy.
a star in an intermediate stage of evolution, characterized by a large volume, low surface temperature, and reddish hue.
Origin of red giant
First recorded in 1915–20
Words nearby red giant
red fire,
red flag,
red flash,
red flour beetle,
red fox,
red giant,
red goatfish,
red grouse,
red guard,
red guards,
red gum
British Dictionary definitions for red giant
red giant
noun
a giant star towards the end of its life, with a relatively low temperature of 2000–4000 K, that emits red light
Scientific definitions for red giant
red giant
A giant star that has a relatively low surface temperature, giving it a reddish or orange hue. Red giants are non-main-sequence stars positioned in the upper right of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. They are not massive stars but rather late, expanded stages of lower-mass main-sequence stars that have exhausted the hydrogen in their core and are fusing their remaining hydrogen into helium in a luminous outer shell. The Sun is expected to become a red giant in about 5 billion years, expanding to 70 times its current size and bringing its surface extremely close to Earth's present orbit. See more at star. See Note at dwarf star.