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
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
Close to the horizon is the brightest star in the sky: Sirius, the nose of the Big Dog in Canis Major.
—Alison Klesman, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
Close to the horizon is the brightest star in the sky: Sirius, the nose of the Big Dog in Canis Major.
—Alison Klesman, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Canis Major.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Canis%20Major. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share