Canis Major

American  

[key-nis mey-jer] / ˈkeɪ nɪs ˈmeɪ dʒər /

noun

Astronomy.

Canis Majoris genitive

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

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Canis Major British  

/ ˈkeɪnɪs /

noun

1. Also called: the Great Dog.  a constellation in the S hemisphere close to Orion, containing Sirius, the brightest star in the sky

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Canis Major Scientific  

/ kā′nĭs /

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

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Etymology

Origin of Canis Major

< Latin: larger dog

Example Sentences

For binoculars and telescopes, Canis Major is rich in star clusters.

From National Geographic • Aug. 23, 2023

If you can find Orion's belt in the sky, you can find Sirius and Canis Major.

From Salon • Sep. 14, 2022

It rises just before 9 p.m. in the southeast, visually barking in the constellation Canis Major.

From Washington Post • Dec. 3, 2016

Several of the globular clusters found in the Milky Way may also have come from the Canis Major dwarf, which is expected to merge gradually with the Milky Way over about the next billion years.

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016

“Look, J.B., there’s Canis Major and Canis Minor. That means the big dog and the little dog.”

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly