Altair

noun

Al·​tair al-ˈtī(-ə)r How to pronounce Altair (audio)
-ˈter,
ˈal-ˌtī(-ə)r,
-ˌter
: the brightest star in the constellation Aquila

Examples of Altair in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Further Reading First encounter: COMPUTE! magazine and its glorious, tedious type-in code In 1975, Paul Allen and Bill Gates adapted the language for personal computers like the Altair 8800, expanding its reach to a new audience of small computer owners and founding Microsoft in the process. Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 1 May 2024 The company was originally created to produce software for the Altair 8800, an early personal computer. Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2024 The winner of the Student Support Personnel category was Altair Trujillo Estrada, who works at H.R. McCall Elementary School in District 60. Chloe Hilles, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2024 Deneb, Vega, and Altair are the three stars that make up the triangle. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024 Several home computers were sold as kits (the Altair 8800 being by far the best known), and Apple was hardly the only early PC maker to start in a garage. IEEE Spectrum, 6 Dec. 2018 The brightest is Vega, the southernmost is Altair and the northern apex is Deneb. Geoff Chester, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023 Look to the southern sky between the Altair and Cebalrai stars to see three clusters well. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Aug. 2023 In early summer, like now, Altair is roughly 30 degrees above the horizon, a third of the way to the zenith. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Altair.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, shortened from Arabic al-nasr al-ṭāʼir "the flying eagle," a name for the line of stars Alpha, Beta and Gamma Aquilae

Note: According to Paul Kunitzsch, Arabische Sternnamen in Europa (Wiesbaden, 1959), the Arabic name (with many variants) was applied to the single star Alpha Aquilae for convenience in astrolabe manuals. In Arabic star nomenclature, al-nasr al-ṭāʼir, "the flying eagle" in Aquila was opposed to al-nasr al-wāqiʻ, "the falling eagle," applied to the three stars Alpha, Epsilon and Zeta Lyrae.

First Known Use

1730, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Altair was in 1730

Dictionary Entries Near Altair

Cite this Entry

“Altair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Altair. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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