e·clips·ing binary
(ĭ-klĭp′sĭng)n. A binary star whose components periodically cross the line of sight from Earth, thereby causing alternating eclipses of one another.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
eclipsing binary
or eclipsing variable
n (Astronomy) a binary star whose orbital plane lies in or near the line of sight so that one component is regularly eclipsed by its companion. See also
variable star Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
e·clips·ing binary
(ĭ-klĭp′sĭng) A variable binary star whose components pass in front of each other, thereby causing a regular eclipse of one of the stars and changes in brightness.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.