Canis Major

noun

Ca·​nis Ma·​jor ˌkā-nəs-ˈmā-jər 

ˌka-

: a constellation to the southeast of Orion containing Sirius

Examples of Canis Major in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To the left of Orion one can spot Sirius, the brightest star in Earth's night sky and the alpha star of Canis Major, the Big Dog. —Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 26 Mar. 2025

The next star in the Winter Triangle is Sirius, which happens to be the brightest star in the night sky and the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major, Orion’s big hunting dog. —Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 23 Feb. 2025

The recent full moon in the same region of the sky (Canis Major) had led to a paucity of observations, which resulted in a gap in observations. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025

Made up of Sirius in the constellation Canis Major, Procyon in the constellation Canis Minor and Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion, this celestial triangle often features prominently in the winter sky. —Denise Chow, NBC News, 13 Dec. 2024

The celestial triangle is made up of Sirius in the constellation of Canis Major, Procyon in the constellation of Canis Minor and Betelgeuse in the constellation of Orion. —Denise Chow, NBC News, 7 Dec. 2024

The Winter Triangle is formed by three bright stars: Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky in the constellation Canis Major, Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star in Orion, and Procyon in the constellation Canis Minor. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

Canis Minor and Canis Major represent Orion’s two hunting dogs, which trail him across winter skies. —Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2024

There’s the great Orion himself, surrounded by his cast of characters like Taurus the Bull, Auriga the chariot driver, Gemini the Twins, Lepus the Killer Rabbit, Canis Minor the Little Dog, and Canis Major, the Big Dog. —Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 4 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin (genitive Canis Majoris), literally, greater dog

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Canis Major

• ager
• gauger
• pager
• stager
• wager
• yager
• teenager