Canis Major

[ key-nis mey-jer ]

/ ˈkeɪ nɪs ˈmeɪ dʒər /

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noun, genitive Ca·nis Ma·jo·ris

[key-nis muh-jawr-is, -johr-]. /ˈkeɪ nɪs məˈdʒɔr ɪs, -ˈdʒoʊr-/. Astronomy.

the Great Dog, a southern constellation between Puppis and Orion, containing Sirius, the Dog Star, the brightest of the stars.

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Origin of Canis Major

<Latin: larger dog

Words nearby Canis Major

canine parvovirus, canines, canine spasm, canine tooth, caning, Canis Major, Canis Minor, canister, canities, canker, cankered

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Canis Major in a sentence

Astronomers have also located smaller dwarf galaxies that have bumped into the Milky Way’s gravitational field and been torn apart, like Canis Major and Sagittarius.
These two galaxies are locked in a cosmic battle|Margo Milanowski|October 26, 2021|Popular-Science
Virgo-originating cosmic rays bend around in the galaxy’s twisting field lines so that they strike us from the direction of Canis Major, where Auger sees the center of its excess.
Cosmic Map of Ultrahigh-Energy Particles Points to Long-Hidden Treasures|Natalie Wolchover|April 27, 2021|Quanta Magazine
To put it rather uncharitably, the USPHS practiced a major dental experiment on a city full of unconsenting subjects.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Other major news outlets made the same decision, hiding behind a misplaced sense of multicultural sensitivity.
Why We Stand With Charlie Hebdo—And You Should Too|John Avlon|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Iraq may have been an irregular fight, but it had major moments.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This is the Mexico that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and most major U.S. corporations, are eager to call amigo.
Why Mexicans Are Enraged by Obama’s Big Tuesday Meeting|Ruben Navarrette Jr.|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Those who have watched anti-gay groups closely suggest that there will be two major strategic shifts in their strategy.
‘Only God’ Can Stop Gay Marriage|Tim Mak|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The major-general kept him well informed of every movement of the enemy, and pointed out the dangerous isolation of Davout.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Thereon the major-general took on himself to nominate Prince Eugne as Murat's successor.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Major Abbott and his brother officers, trying to keep their men loyal, stood fast and listened to the distant turmoil in the city.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Frulein Fichtner was the young lady who was going to play his concerto in A major at the concert that evening.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
He was a good judge of men, that eagle-faced major; he knew that the slightest move with hostile intent would mean a smoking gun.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for Canis Major

Canis Major

/ (ˈkeɪnɪs) /

noun Latin genitive Canis Majoris (məˈdʒɔːrɪs)

a constellation in the S hemisphere close to Orion, containing Sirius, the brightest star in the skyAlso called: the Great Dog

Word Origin for Canis Major

Latin: the greater dog

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for Canis Major

Canis Major

[ kā′nĭs ]

A constellation in the Southern Hemisphere near Orion. Canis Major (the Greater Dog) contains Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky.