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

Astronomers have monitored Betelgeuse for decades, tracking changes in its brightness and surface features in an effort to understand its unpredictable behavior.

From Science Daily • Jan. 10, 2026

Astronomers analyzing fresh observations from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and several ground-based observatories have uncovered clear signs that a recently identified companion star is shaping the environment around Betelgeuse.

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

Imagine if Betelgeuse was in the center of the Solar System instead of our Sun.

From Space Scoop • Aug. 20, 2025

Rigel was a blue star, smaller than Betelgeuse, Dad said, but even brighter.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls