Jump To:

• Big Dipper
  Big Dipper

  noun

  the group of seven bright stars in Ursa Major resembling a dipper in outline.
• big dipper
  big dipper

  noun

  (in amusement parks) a narrow railway with open carriages that run swiftly over a route of sharp curves and steep inclines

Big Dipper

American  

noun

Astronomy.

1. the group of seven bright stars in Ursa Major resembling a dipper in outline.

---

big dipper ¹ British  

noun

1. Also called: roller coaster.  (in amusement parks) a narrow railway with open carriages that run swiftly over a route of sharp curves and steep inclines

---

Big Dipper ² British  

noun

1. the US and Canadian name for Plough

---

Big Dipper Scientific  

1. An asterism composed of seven stars in the constellation Ursa Major. Four stars form the bowl and three form the handle in the outline of a dipper.

---

Big Dipper Cultural  

1. A constellation in the northern sky. The two stars on the far end of the bowl of the dipper point toward the North Star. The Big Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear).

---

Etymology

Origin of Big Dipper

First recorded in 1865–70

Compare meaning

How does big-dipper compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Big Dipper vs. Little Dipper

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Big Dipper big dipper

Another favorite is "The Big Dipper," my take on a French Dip.

From Salon ● May 28, 2024

The 70-year-old has loved the cosmos since her childhood, since her father showed her the Big Dipper, the North Star and the Milky Way, and bought her her first telescope.

From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2024

Though the MOM studio is in Los Angeles, many queens record their shows remotely, something non-drag producer Big Dipper said contributed to the network’s popularity, especially during COVID.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2023

The easily identifiable Big Dipper represents the bear’s rear torso and tail, with the other stars of the constellation mapping out its long nose and legs.

From National Geographic ● Aug. 23, 2023

Though the Big Dipper appeared “upside down” in this part of the world, it still felt like they were being greeted by an old friend from home—where they longed to be.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

Melting permafrost is buckling roads into potentially deadly big dipper rollercoasters, as well as threatening to dislodge doses of locked-up mercury.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 21, 2018

Start at dusk in June to see big dipper fireflies and the pink mountains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2018

Now it’s like being on a big dipper with no safety belt, for about five years.

From The Guardian ● Nov. 12, 2016

The lights may not bother the dusk-loving big dipper so much, but they do interfere with other species that mate at night and need the darkness to communicate successfully.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 5, 2016

By the big dipper, you're about the only one I CAN trust these days.

From Cy Whittaker's Place by Lincoln, Joseph Crosby