Question

Choose the most suitable one word for the given expression.
A small, named group of fixed stars.
a. galaxy
b. cluster
c. constellation
d. congregation

Answer 1

Hint:Decipher what the given expression means. Look through the given options and understand the meanings. Make sure to differentiate between ‘cluster’ and ‘constellation’. Then, choose the correct option accordingly.

Complete answer: In grammar, a substitute is used as a noun to refer to a word that serves as a particular kind of replacement. When one word replaces an entire phrase and still retains the original meaning, it is called a ‘substitute noun’. For example, the phrase ‘the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way’ can be substituted by the word ‘serendipity’. The only way to identify them correctly is to memorise them or use etymology to guessthem as accurately as possible.

The given phrase is the substitution for an astronomical scientific term for the mentioned group of stars. This word is extremely important in the field of astrophysics.
Now, we know the meaning of the given phrase. Let’s look at the given options:
a. galaxy - The word ‘galaxy’ refers to a ‘system of millions or billions of stars, together with gas and dust, held together by gravitational attraction'. This word does not have the exact same meaning as the given phrase. It does not mean the same thing. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b. cluster - The word ‘cluster’ refers to a ‘small group of people or things'. This word does not have the exact same meaning as the given phrase. It does not mean the same thing. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c. constellation - The word ‘constellation’ refers to a ‘group of stars forming a recognisable pattern that is traditionally named after its apparent form or identified with a mythological figure'. This word has the exact same meaning as the given phrase. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
d.congregation - The word ‘congregation’ refers to ‘assembly of persons'. This word does not have the exact same meaning as the given phrase. It does not mean the same thing. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
Therefore, option c. is correct.

Note:The given description can be summarised by another synonym ‘array’. This synonym should help you find the word that is the replacement for the given phrase.