Canis Minor

American  

[key-nis mahy-ner] / ˈkeɪ nɪs ˈmaɪ nər /

noun

Astronomy.

genitive

Canis Minoris

1. the Little or Lesser Dog, a small southern constellation west of Orion and south of Gemini, containing the bright star Procyon.

---

Canis Minor British  

noun

1. Also called: the Little Dog.  a small constellation in the N hemisphere close to Orion, containing the first magnitude star Procyon

---

Canis Minor Scientific  

1. A constellation in the Northern Hemisphere near Hydra and the celestial equator. Canis Minor (the Lesser Dog) contains the bright star Procyon.

---

Etymology

Origin of Canis Minor

< Latin: smaller dog

Example Sentences

Canis Major and Canis Minor are the constellations named for Orion's two hunting dogs.

From Salon • Sep. 14, 2022

Canis Major, as opposed to Canis Minor, translates to "Greater Dog," so it follows that the star, Sirius, is known as the Dog Star.

From Salon • Sep. 14, 2022

Same goes for his hunting companions, the dogs Canis Major and Canis Minor, who force themselves into my head according to the same goony, Babylonian logic.

From Slate • Jul. 12, 2012

Using Palomar Observatory's 200-in. telescope, they spotted Halley's comet as a faint moving dot in the constellation Canis Minor.

From Time Magazine Archive

“There's another Level One girls' dorm next door called Hydra, and the boys' ones are right across the hall called Canis Minor and Zepus. But there's more for older kids.”

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton