Canis Minor
- proper noun
- /ˈkeɪnɪs ˈmaɪnər/
:
Can Menor
- The constellation Canis Minor is easy to find by locating its brightest star, Procyon.
Examples
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The constellation Canis Minor is home to the star Procyon.
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The constellation Canis Minor is easy to find by locating its brightest star, Procyon.
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Many ancient cultures included Canis Minor in their star maps.
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My astronomy class studied Canis Minor as part of the winter sky.
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Look at Canis Minor!
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Many ancient cultures included Canis Minor in their star maps.
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My astronomy class studied Canis Minor as part of the winter sky.
Synonyms
3
8.9
A small group of stars in the northern sky east of Orion that contains the bright star Procyon
Surface Forms
Morphology
Canis + Minor
The item is Latin: 'canis' (dog) + 'minor' (smaller), so a learner who knows those constituents can transparently derive the literal sense 'smaller dog'. However the expression functions as a conventional proper name for a constellation, and recognizing it specifically as 'a small constellation (the Lesser Dog)' requires background knowledge of astronomical naming, so the full referential meaning is not wholly predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Canis Minor comes from the Latin words Canis and Minor, literally meaning 'small dog', because people long ago imagined a little dog made of stars near the hunter Orion. That's why Canis Minor today is 'a small constellation' in the sky, known for the bright star Procyon.