Circinus

[ sur-suh-nuh s ]

/ ˈsɜr sə nəs /

noun, genitive Cir·ci·ni [sur-suh-nahy] /ˈsɜr səˌnaɪ/. Astronomy.

the Compasses, a small southern constellation between Triangulum and Centaurus.

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Origin of Circinus

Borrowed into English from Latin around 1830–40

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for circinus

Circinus, the Compass, is a very small constellation lying between Triangulum and Centaurus.
Astronomical Curiosities|J. Ellard Gore
Circinatus is from circinus, a pair of compasses, hence means rounded like a circle.
The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise|M. E. Hard

British Dictionary definitions for circinus

Circinus

/ (ˈsɜːsɪnəs) /

noun Latin genitive Circini (ˈsɜːsɪˌnaɪ)

a small faint constellation in the S hemisphere close to Centaurus and the Southern Cross

Word Origin for Circinus

C19: from Latin, a pair of compasses

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