A celestial emitter of X-rays that has two components, with matter passing from one component (the donor) to the other (the accretor) giving rise to the emission of X-rays from the latter.
Origin
1970s; earliest use found in New Scientist.
Definition of X-ray binary in US English:
X-ray binary
noun
Astronomy
A celestial emitter of X-rays that has two components, with matter passing from one component (the donor) to the other (the accretor) giving rise to the emission of X-rays from the latter.