Pleiades

American  

[plee-uh-deez, plahy-] / ˈpli əˌdiz, ˈplaɪ- /

plural noun

1. Classical Mythology. seven daughters of Atlas and half sisters of the Hyades, placed among the stars to save them from the pursuit of Orion. One of them (theLost Pleiad ) hides, either from grief or shame.

2. Astronomy. a conspicuous group or cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus, commonly spoken of as seven, though only six are visible.

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Pleiades ¹ British  

/ ˈplaɪəˌdiːz /

plural noun

1. a young conspicuous open star cluster approximately 370 light years away in the constellation Taurus, containing several thousand stars only six or seven of which are visible to the naked eye Compare Hyades 1

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Pleiades ² British  

/ ˈplaɪəˌdiːz /

plural noun

1. Greek myth the seven daughters of Atlas, placed as stars in the sky either to save them from the pursuit of Orion or, in another account, after they had killed themselves for grief over the death of their half-sisters the Hyades

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Pleiades Scientific  

/ plē′ə-dēz′ /

1. A loose collection of several hundred stars in the constellation Taurus, at least six of which are visible to the unaided eye.

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Etymology

Origin of Pleiades

1350–1400; Middle English Pliades < Latin Plīades < Greek Pleíades (singular Pleías ); akin to pleîn to sail

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Pleiades

Once activated, they created a kind of wormhole in the pyramid through which altruistic aliens from the star cluster Pleiades would emerge.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

The Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, is a cluster of young stars around 440 light years from Earth.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Some were gaseous, star-forming regions, such as the Orion nebula, or M42 – the 42nd object in Messier’s catalog – while others were star clusters such as the Pleiades, or M45.

From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2025

The Pleiades myth describes the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and nymph Pleione.

From Science Daily ● May 21, 2024

Chandeliers with Pleiades Corp’s signature color, royal purple, illuminating the faces of actors in fancy clothes, holding martini glasses and smiling as they stared out at a fake nebula.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

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