Pleiades

American  

[plee-uh-deez, plahy-] / ˈpli əˌdiz, ˈplaɪ- /

plural noun

1. Classical Mythology. seven daughters of Atlas and half sisters of the Hyades, placed among the stars to save them from the pursuit of Orion. One of them (theLost Pleiad ) hides, either from grief or shame.

2. Astronomy. a conspicuous group or cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus, commonly spoken of as seven, though only six are visible.

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Pleiades ¹ British  

/ ˈplaɪəˌdiːz /

plural noun

1. a young conspicuous open star cluster approximately 370 light years away in the constellation Taurus, containing several thousand stars only six or seven of which are visible to the naked eye Compare Hyades 1

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Pleiades ² British  

/ ˈplaɪəˌdiːz /

plural noun

1. Greek myth the seven daughters of Atlas, placed as stars in the sky either to save them from the pursuit of Orion or, in another account, after they had killed themselves for grief over the death of their half-sisters the Hyades

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Pleiades Scientific  

/ plē′ə-dēz′ /

1. A loose collection of several hundred stars in the constellation Taurus, at least six of which are visible to the unaided eye.

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Etymology

Origin of Pleiades

1350–1400; Middle English Pliades < Latin Plīades < Greek Pleíades (singular Pleías ); akin to pleîn to sail

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Pleiades

As the Moon rises it will form a triangle with the Pleiades star cluster and the bright star Aldebaran.

From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2025

Some were gaseous, star-forming regions, such as the Orion nebula, or M42 – the 42nd object in Messier’s catalog – while others were star clusters such as the Pleiades, or M45.

From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2025

According to the myth, one of their daughters married a human and went into hiding, which provides a very unscientific, but beautiful explanation for why we only see six stars in the Pleiades.

From Science Daily ● May 21, 2024

This week, once the sky darkens, look for the Pleiades star cluster near the planet’s bright glow.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 11, 2023

The sun sank below Ladle Hill and the autumn stars began to shine in the darkening east—Perseus and the Pleiades, Cassiopeia, faint Pisces and the great square of Pegasus.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams