Southern Cross
3
6.8
- noun
- /ˈsʌðərn krɔs/
:
Cruz del Sur
- While camping, we spotted the Southern Cross and used it to find our way.
Examples
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On clear nights, the Southern Cross shines brightly in the southern sky.
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Do you know of the Southern Cross?
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See the Southern Cross from my room at night.
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You and the women can use the Southern Cross to navigate.
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In the Southern Hemisphere, you have the Southern Cross constellation.
Blog text (32) -
The Southern Cross is featured on the Australian flag, so you know you're in the right place.
Academic text (2002) -
Woody spoke fondly of the Southern Cross, that constellation pointing the way.
Fiction book (2000) -
The Southern Cross is a kite-shaped asterism of four stars: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta Crucis.
Academic text (2002) -
The Southern Cross is often featured in southern hemisphere navigation guides.
Synonyms
1
9.1
A small group of bright stars in the southern sky called the Southern Cross
A small bright group of stars in the southern sky called the Southern Cross
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituents 'southern' (in the south) and 'cross' (a cross-shaped figure) transparently suggest something cross-shaped associated with the south, so a learner could infer a southern cross-shaped object. However, identifying this specific proper name as the constellation Crux (a small, prominent star pattern) requires cultural/astronomical knowledge beyond simple composition, so the meaning is only partially predictable.
Etymology
Southern Cross is a small group of stars that make a bright cross in the southern sky. Sailors used that cross to find 'south', so the name links the picture of the cross to its use for 'navigation' and to being a national 'symbol' on flags.