Sirius
[ sir-ee-uh s ]
/ ˈsɪr i əs /
noun
Astronomy.
the Dog Star, the brightest-appearing star in the heavens, located in the constellation Canis Major.
Also Seirios. Classical Mythology.
- the dog of Orion.
- Icarius' faithful dog, who was changed into a star.
Origin of Sirius
1325–75; Middle English < Latin
Sīrius < Greek
Seírios
Example sentences from the Web for sirius
British Dictionary definitions for sirius
Sirius
/ (ˈsɪrɪəs) /
noun
the brightest star in the sky after the sun, lying in the constellation Canis Major. It is a binary star whose companion, Sirius B, is a very faint white dwarf. Distance: 8.6 light years
Also called: the Dog Star, Canicula, Sothis Related adjectives: canicular, cynic
Word Origin for Sirius
C14: via Latin from Greek
Seirios, of obscure origin
Scientific definitions for sirius
Sirius
[ sĭr′ē-əs ]
The brightest star seen in the night sky. It is in the constellation Canis Major. It is a white main-sequence star on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, with an apparent magnitude of -1.5. Sirius is a binary star, and its companion is a white dwarf star referred to as the Pup. Sirius is also known as the Dog Star. Scientific name: Alpha Canis.