English Explanatory Dictionary

Sagan

English dictionary entry

Meanings

name
  1. A surname.
noun
  1. A unit of measurement equal to at least four billion.
name
  1. A village in Sardasht Rural District, in the Central District of Bashagard County, Hormozgan Province, Iran.
name
  1. Alternative form of Sakan (village in West Azerbaijan, Iran).
name
  1. A river in southern Ethiopia.
  2. A town in southern Ethiopia, named for the river.
noun
  1. Alternative letter-case form of Sagan.

Pronunciation

/ˈseɪɡən/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Sagan.wav

Word forms

Sagan Sagans

Etymology

The unit is derived from the phrase "billions and billions (of stars)", erroneously attributed to the American astronomer Carl Sagan. The lower bound of such a number must be two billion plus two billion, or four billion. Johnny Carson popularized the phrase through his occasional impersonation of Sagan throughout his career.

Related words

Segan

Derived words

Saganian Saganite Sagan's number Sagan's paradox Sagan standard
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