pole star
1
5.6
- noun
- /poʊl stɑr/
:
estrella polar
- Just as the pole star was thought by the ancients to mark a hole in the heavens, the earthly poles were now believed to mark holes in the planet.
- pole star, Polaris
So in recorded history, civilizations have had different pole stars, and only right now is it what we're calling Polaris.
- So in recorded history, civilizations have had different pole stars, and only right now is it what we're calling Polaris.
Examples
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So in recorded history, civilizations have had different pole stars, and only right now is it what we're calling Polaris.
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Sirius was the pole star seen on the sky when the pyramids were built.
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Well, if you take a time exposure photograph of the stars, they seem to be moving in circles about the pole star, but all motion is relative.
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Navigators have used the pole star for centuries to find their way during dark nights.
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During their trip, the sailors relied on the pole star to maintain their course across the ocean.
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The pole star, also known as Polaris, is located nearly directly above Earth's North Pole.
Synonyms
10
3.5
A bright star almost still in the northern sky that people use to find north
7
5.6
A bright star in the north sky called the North Star that people use to find direction
1
6.8
A bright star in the north sky used to find north
1
4.6
A bright star called Polaris that sits almost above Earth's north pole and shows true north
Surface Forms
Morphology
Knowing 'pole' and 'star' allows a learner to infer a literal meaning (a star by the Earth's pole used for navigation), and from that concrete image many speakers extend it metaphorically to mean a guiding influence. However, the metaphorical leap from a navigational star to an abstract 'person or principle' is not fully predictable without cultural or contextual familiarity, so it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Pole star is the bright star that sits almost above the Earth's North Pole and looks nearly still in the night sky. Sailors and travelers used it to find north, so it means 'a star used for navigation'.