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Glite Dictionary
Ursa Major

Ursa Major

1 7.3
A group of stars in the northern sky that look like a big bear
  • proper noun
  • /ˈɜr.sə ˈmeɪ.dʒər/
translation icon : Ursa Mayor
  • That's Ursa Major, the Big Bear.
  • Ursa Major constellation
  • Ursa Major, the Great Bear
  • Ursa Major, the Big Dipper

Examples

  • The outline of Ursa Major can be easily recognized by its distinct shape in the night sky.

  • The stars in Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear, are clearly visible during the summer nights.

  • Above us, Ursa Major began its revolution through the night sky.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Ursa Major is the Great Bear.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Accordingly, the magical number seven is prominent in all the rites, a reminder of the seven major stars in the constellation of the Great Bear (Ursa Major) in the heavens.

    Academic text (1993)

  • In ancient mythology, Ursa Major was often associated with a bear and represented in various cultures.

Synonyms

Great Bear
vsUrsa Major
3.7

A large group of stars in the northern sky that includes the Big Dipper

is the formal scientific name used in astronomy contexts

Surface Forms

Ursa Major main

Morphology

Ursa + major

The name is compositionally transparent: 'Ursa' (Latin for 'bear') + 'major' (greater/big) yields the literal sense 'Great Bear', which directly identifies the constellation. This descriptive, cross-linguistically common naming pattern in astronomy makes the meaning accessible to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Ursa Major comes from Latin words Ursa meaning 'bear' and Major meaning 'greater'. People long ago saw a group of stars that looked like a bear and told a sky story about it, so today Ursa Major is the large group of stars we still call the 'great bear'.