centaur

[ sen-tawr ]

/ ˈsɛn tɔr /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for centaur on Thesaurus.com

noun

Classical Mythology. one of a race of creatures having the head, trunk, and arms of a man, and the body and legs of a horse.

Cen·taur, Astronomy. the constellation Centaurus.

a skillful horseman or horsewoman.

Cen·taur, Rocketry. a U.S. upper stage, with a restartable liquid-propellant engine, used with an Atlas or Titan booster to launch satellites and probes.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of centaur

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, Old English, from Latin centaurus, from Greek kéntauros

OTHER WORDS FROM centaur

cen·tau·ri·al [sen-tawr-ee-uhl], /ˌsɛnˈtɔr i əl/, cen·tau·ri·an, cen·tau·ric, adjective

Words nearby centaur

census tract, cent, cental, centare, centas, centaur, centaurea, centaurs, Centaurus, centaury, centavo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use centaur in a sentence

That would give a centaur two sets of back legs and two pelvises.
How do you build a centaur?|Bethany Brookshire|February 10, 2021|Science News For Students
The centaur — a mythical creature that is half human and half horse — might seem like a relatively easy mashup.
How do you build a centaur?|Bethany Brookshire|February 10, 2021|Science News For Students
NASA has considered sending spacecraft to centaurs, although no missions have been selected for development yet.
In a first, astronomers spotted a space rock turning into a comet|Lisa Grossman|August 18, 2020|Science News
That means Chariklo likely has one or more tiny shepherd moons itself, making the centaur a miniature solar system.
Chariklo, a Minor Planet Nicknamed a “Centaur,” Discovered to Have Rings|Matthew R. Francis|April 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

This position, along with its composition of rock and ice, marks Chariklo as a “centaur.”
Chariklo, a Minor Planet Nicknamed a “Centaur,” Discovered to Have Rings|Matthew R. Francis|April 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Another of the most beautiful, on account of its regularity, is that of the Centaur (Fig. 22).
Astronomy for Amateurs|Camille Flammarion
With the grace of a Centaur, the rider swung his mount in beside them and doffed his hat.
Hidden Gold|Wilder Anthony
Deaneira took the robe, but said nothing to her husband of the centaur's gift, hoping that she would never have to make use of it.
Stories of Old Greece and Rome|Emilie Kip Baker
The poisoned tip sank deep233 into the centaur's side, and he knew at once that he had received his death-wound.
Stories of Old Greece and Rome|Emilie Kip Baker
"I harnessed him to the wagonette with Linda," returned the Centaur, with an angry look at the listening Valentina.
The Fourth Estate, vol.1|Armando Palacio Valds

British Dictionary definitions for centaur

centaur

/ (ˈsɛntɔː) /

noun

Greek myth one of a race of creatures with the head, arms, and torso of a man, and the lower body and legs of a horse

Word Origin for centaur

C14: from Latin, from Greek kentauros, of unknown origin

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 centaur

Centaur

[ sĕn′tôr′ ]

Any of a group of icy bodies similar to both asteroids and comets, orbiting the Sun in elliptical paths mostly in the region between Saturn and Neptune. Centaurs range in diameter from around 100 to 400 km (62 to 248 mi) and are believed to be Kuiper belt objects that have escaped into the vicinity of the gas-giant planets. Centaurs are considered to have unstable orbits, and gravitational encounters with the large outer planets could send them into the inner solar system or alternatively could eject them from the solar system into interstellar space. Chiron, the first such body to be classified as a Centaur, was discovered in 1977.

centaur

Origin of centaur

OTHER WORDS FROM centaur

Words nearby centaur

Words related to centaur

How to use centaur in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for centaur

Word Origin for centaur

Scientific definitions for centaur