centaur

noun

cen·​taur ˈsen-ˌtȯr 

 also  -ˌtär

1

or less commonly Centaur : any of a race of creatures fabled to be half human and half horse and to live in the mountains of Thessaly

2

Centaur astronomy : any of a class of asteroids with elliptical orbits that typically lie between the orbits of Jupiter and Neptune

The Centaurs are distinguished dynamically as a group of objects whose orbits cross those of the Jovian planets and whose perihelions lie outside the orbit of Jupiter.

—Robert H. Brown et al.

Examples of centaur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For example, Pluto is considered a TNO but not a centaur. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2024

Now, astronomers are learning more about a famous centaur known as (2060) Chiron and how its surface chemistry sets it apart from other centaurs, by detecting its chemical composition for the first time. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 20 Dec. 2024

December 2: Mercury retrograde harmonizes with the centaur Chiron, who's also retrograde in Aries. —Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 22 Nov. 2024

The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered that the centaur called 2060 Chiron is an oddball. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin Centaurus, from Greek Kentauros

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

centaur

noun

cen·​taur ˈsen-ˌtȯ(ə)r 

: a creature in Greek mythology that is half human and half horse