Polaris

American  

[poh-lair-is, -lar-, puh-] / poʊˈlɛər ɪs, -ˈlær-, pə- /

noun

1. Astronomy. the polestar or North Star, a star of the second magnitude situated close to the north pole of the heavens, in the constellation Ursa Minor: the outermost star in the handle of the Little Dipper.

2. a two-stage U.S. ballistic missile, usually fired from a submerged submarine.

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Polaris British  

/ pəˈlɑːrɪs /

noun

1. Also called: the Pole Star.   the North Star.  the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, situated slightly less than 1° from the north celestial pole. It is a Cepheid variable, with a period of four days. Visual magnitude: 2.08–2.17; spectral type: F8Ib

2. 1. a type of US two-stage intermediate-range ballistic missile, usually fired by a submerged submarine

   2. ( as modifier )

      a Polaris submarine

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Polaris Scientific  

/ pə-lăr′ĭs /

1. A bright star at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper in the constellation Ursa Minor. Polaris is 1° from the north celestial pole, and it remains in the same location in the sky all year, making it a useful navigation tool. Polaris is actually a double star with a faint companion star and has an apparent magnitude of 2.04. Also called North Star. Scientific name: Alpha Ursae Minoris.

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Etymology

Origin of Polaris

1955–60; short for Medieval Latin stella polāris polar star

Example Sentences

Along with Polaris, shares of BRP advanced 7.8% to $54.90 on Thursday.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

Polaris announced new tariff policy changes will not materially impact its full-year 2026 guidance, citing domestic manufacturing.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

The airline is adding doors in Polaris on its fancy new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, which start service from San Francisco in April.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

I skipped most of the prelanding salad I ordered to save room for the Polaris lounge on my layover.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

You can use the Big Dipper to find Polaris, the North Star, which, by the way, is the tail end of the handle of the Little Dipper.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein