Betelgeuse

American  

[beet-l-jooz, bet-l-jœz] / ˈbit lˌdʒuz, ˈbɛt lˌdʒœz /

Or Betelgeux

noun

Astronomy.

1. a first-magnitude red supergiant in the constellation Orion.

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Betelgeuse British  

/ ˌbiːtəlˈdʒɜːz, ˈbiːtəlˌdʒɜːz /

noun

1. a very remote luminous red supergiant, Alpha Orionis: the second brightest star in the constellation Orion. It is a variable star

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Betelgeuse Scientific  

/ bēt′l-jo̅o̅z′ /

1. A red supergiant star in the constellation Orion. It is a variable star with a brightest apparent magnitude of 0.5. Scientific name: Alpha Orionis.

2. See Note at Rigel

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Etymology

Origin of Betelgeuse

1790–1800; < French < Arabic bīt al jauzāʾ shoulder of the giant (i.e., of Orion)

Example Sentences

From Earth's perspective, Betelgeuse is currently eclipsing its companion star.

From Science Daily • Jan. 10, 2026

"For the first time, we're seeing direct signs of this wake, or trail of gas, confirming that Betelgeuse really does have a hidden companion shaping its appearance and behavior."

From Science Daily • Jan. 10, 2026

Orion rises in the east after midnight, just to the north of its red-tinged star Betelgeuse.

From BBC • Oct. 17, 2025

In 2019 and 2020, Betelgeuse began to grow dimmer and dimmer in brightness, so much that astronomers called this event, the ‘Great Dimming.’

From Space Scoop • Aug. 20, 2025

It is just Betelgeuse and Bellatrix and Alnilam and Rigel and 17 other stars I don’t know the names of.

From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon