Centaurus

[ sen-tawr-uhs ]

noun,genitive Cen·tau·ri [sen-tawr-ahy]. /sɛnˈtɔr aɪ/.
  1. Astronomy. the Centaur, a southern constellation between Lupus and Vela, containing the triple-star system Alpha Centauri.

Origin of Centaurus

1
From Latin; see origin at centaur

Words Nearby Centaurus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Centaurus in a sentence

  • Answers post on the asking, “Is Centaurus the best Termas in Rio De Janiero?”

  • One is Centaurus (or the Centaur), which contains the two first magnitude stars, α and β Centauri.

    Astronomy of To-day | Cecil G. Dolmage
  • Continual improvement, but neither we nor Centaurus can stop designing long enough to stabilize for production.

    The Variable Man | Philip K. Dick
  • It will end, Reinhart stated coldly, as soon as Terra turns out a weapon for which Centaurus can build no defense.

    The Variable Man | Philip K. Dick
  • All facts considered, the odds favored a successful repulsion by Proxima Centaurus of a Terran military attack.

    The Variable Man | Philip K. Dick
  • Centaurus, older and less virile than Terra, was unable to match Terras rate of technocratic advance.

    The Variable Man | Philip K. Dick

British Dictionary definitions for Centaurus

Centaurus

/ (sɛnˈtɔːrəs) /


nounLatin genitive Centauri (sɛnˈtɔːraɪ)
  1. a conspicuous extensive constellation in the S hemisphere, close to the Southern Cross, that contains two first magnitude stars, Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri, and the globular cluster Omega Centauri: Also called: The Centaur

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

Scientific definitions for Centaurus

Centaurus

[ sĕn-tôrəs ]


  1. A constellation in the Southern Hemisphere near the Southern Cross and Libra. Centaurus (the Centaur) contains Alpha Centauri, the star nearest Earth.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.