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.
  1. the dog of Orion.
  2. 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
[ sĭrē-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.