What does constellation mean?

Definitions for constellation
ˌkɒn stəˈleɪ ʃəncon·stel·la·tion

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word constellation.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. configuration, constellationnoun

    an arrangement of parts or elements

    "the outcome depends on the configuration of influences at the time"

  2. constellationnoun

    a configuration of stars as seen from the earth

Wiktionary

  1. constellationnoun

    An arbitrary formation of stars perceived as a figure or pattern.

  2. constellationnoun

    An image associated with a group of stars.

  3. constellationnoun

    Any of the 88 officially recognized regions of the sky, including all stars and celestial bodies in the region.

  4. constellationnoun

    The configuration of planets at a given time (notably of birth), as used for determining a horoscope.

  5. constellationnoun

    A wide, seemingly unlimited assortment.

    A constellation of possibilities.

  6. constellationnoun

    a configuration or grouping

    your computer's software constellation helps you do your work faster

  7. Etymology: From constellacioun, constillacioun, from constellation, from constellatio, from con + stella

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Constellationnoun

    Etymology: from constellate.

    For the stars of heaven, and the constellations thereof, shall not give their light. Is. xiii. 10.

    The earth, the air resounded,
    The heav’ns and all the constellations rung. John Milton, Par. Lost.

    A constellation is but one;
    Though ’tis a train of stars. Dryden.

    The condition is a constellation or conjuncture of all those gospel-graces, faith, hope, charity, self-denial, repentance, and the rest. Henry Hammond, Pract. Cat.

Wikipedia

  1. Constellation

    A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of stars forms an imaginary outline or pattern, typically representing an animal, mythological person or creature, or an inanimate object.The origins of the earliest constellations likely go back to prehistory. People used them to relate stories of their beliefs, experiences, creation, or mythology. Different cultures and countries adopted their own constellations, some of which lasted into the early 20th century before today's constellations were internationally recognized. The recognition of constellations has changed significantly over time. Many have changed in size or shape. Some became popular, only to drop into obscurity. Others were limited to a single culture or nation. The 48 traditional Western constellations are Greek. They are given in Aratus' work Phenomena and Ptolemy's Almagest, though their origin probably predates these works by several centuries. Constellations in the far southern sky were added from the 15th century until the mid-18th century when European explorers began traveling to the Southern Hemisphere. Twelve ancient constellations belong to the zodiac (straddling the ecliptic, which the Sun, Moon, and planets all traverse). The origins of the zodiac remain historically uncertain; its astrological divisions became prominent c. 400 BC in Babylonian or Chaldean astronomy,. In 1922, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) formally accepted the modern list of 88 constellations, and in 1928 adopted official constellation boundaries that together cover the entire celestial sphere. Any given point in a celestial coordinate system lies in one of the modern constellations. Some astronomical naming systems include the constellation where a given celestial object is found to convey its approximate location in the sky. The Flamsteed designation of a star, for example, consists of a number and the genitive form of the constellation name. Other star patterns or groups called asterisms are not constellations per se, but are used by observers to navigate the night sky. Asterisms may be several stars within a constellation, or they may share stars with more than one constellation. Examples of asterisms include the Pleiades and Hyades within the constellation Taurus and the False Cross split between the southern constellations Carina and Vela, or Venus' Mirror in the constellation of Orion.

ChatGPT

  1. constellation

    A constellation is a group of stars that appear close to each other in the night sky, usually forming a recognizable pattern or shape. These formations are often given names based on their perceived shape or the mythological figures they represent. However, it's important to note that these stars are not necessarily close to each other in space, they just appear that way from our perspective on Earth. Today, astronomers officially recognize 88 constellations covering the entire sky.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Constellationnoun

    a cluster or group of fixed stars, or dvision of the heavens, designated in most cases by the name of some animal, or of some mythologial personage, within whose imaginary outline, as traced upon the heavens, the group is included

  2. Constellationnoun

    an assemblage of splendors or excellences

  3. Constellationnoun

    fortune; fate; destiny

  4. Etymology: [F. constellation, L. constellatio.]

Wikidata

  1. Constellation

    In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, which are patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky. There are also numerous historical constellations not recognized by the IAU or constellations recognized in regional traditions of astronomy or astrology, such as Chinese, Hindu and Australian Aboriginal.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms

  1. constellation

    A number of like satellites that are part of a system. Satellites in a constellation generally have a similar orbit. For example, the Global Positioning System constellation consists of 24 satellites distributed in six orbital planes with similar eccentricities, altitudes, and inclinations. See also Global Positioning System.

Editors Contribution

  1. constellation

    A group of stars.

    The night sky constellations are so very beautiful.


    Submitted by MaryC on March 9, 2020  

Matched Categories

How to pronounce constellation?

How to say constellation in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of constellation in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of constellation in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of constellation in a Sentence

  1. Kenneth Sherrill:

    I can not think of another mayor taking office in the last 50 years or longer who had this kind of constellation of good political luck, but he can't take this political capital and put it in the bank. He's got to invest it in an aggressive way in the coming months. And if he does that intelligently, that could make him the most popular mayor the city has had in a very, very long time.

  2. Aaron Baggish:

    There's not a medication in the world that I know of that's going to treat that constellation of symptoms.

  3. Andrew Dempster:

    Beidou was obviously designed a few decades after GPS, so it has had the benefit of learning from the GPS experience, it has some signals that have higher bandwidth, giving better accuracy. It has fewer orbit planes for the satellites, making constellation maintenance easier.

  4. Another German trader:

    Korean importers have told me that, in the present price constellation, they will switch to more feed wheat tenders from corn in coming weeks, in South Korea alone, this could result in about 150,000 tonnes a month of corn imports being switched to feed wheat.

  5. Charles Krauthammer:

    This is a constellation of events all having to do with women, and watching him on an issue that is central to the conservative movement having no idea how to answer.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

constellation#10000#20879#100000

Translations for constellation

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for constellation »

Translation

Find a translation for the constellation definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"constellation." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/constellation>.

Discuss these constellation definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for constellation? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    constellation

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    relating to a technique that does not involve puncturing the skin or entering a body cavity
    A alternate
    B noninvasive
    C sought
    D aligned

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for constellation: