Ursa Minor
[ ur-suh mahy-ner ]
/ ˈɜr sə ˈmaɪ nər /
noun, genitive Ur·sae Mi·nor·is [ur-see mi-nawr-is, -nohr-] /ˈɜr si mɪˈnɔr ɪs, -ˈnoʊr-/. Astronomy.
the Little or Lesser Bear, the northernmost constellation, containing the stars that form the Little Dipper, the outermost of which, at the end of the handle, is Polaris.
Origin of Ursa Minor
First recorded in 1590–1600
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for ursa minor
Ursa Minor
/ (ˈɜːsə ˈmaɪnə) /
noun Latin genitive Ursae Minoris (ˈɜːsiː mɪˈnɔːrɪs)
a small faint constellation, the brightest star of which is the Pole Star, lying 1° from the true celestial poleAlso called: the Little Bear, the Bear, (US and Canadian) the Little Dipper
Word Origin for Ursa Minor
Latin: lesser bear
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
Science definitions for ursa minor
Ursa Minor
A ladle-shaped constellation very near the north celestial pole. Ursa Minor (the Lesser Bear) contains the seven stars that form the Little Dipper. Polaris, the North Star, is at the end of the dipper's handle.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Culture definitions for ursa minor
Ursa Minor
The Little Bear or Little Dipper; the constellation that contains the North Star (Polaris).
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.