Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ursa major

/ˌɝsə ˈmeɪdʒɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.62 in modern English

Syllables: ur-sa -ma-jor
IPA: /ˌɝsə ˈmeɪdʒɚ/

18

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky, said to resemble a bear. It includes the familiar asterism the Big Dipper and the stars Mizar, Dubhe, and Alkaid.

Example Sentences

"My father compounded with my mother under the dragon's tail, and my nativity was under ursa major."

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Ursa maior (“(the) greater bear”).

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌɝsə ˈmeɪdʒɚ/

Phrases

Ursae Majoris Big Dipper Charles' Wain Great Bear Ursa Minor

Frequently Paired Words

UMa Big Dipper Charles' Wain Great Bear Ursa Minor

Questions

How do you pronounce ursa major?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌɝsə ˈmeɪdʒɚ/.
What does ursa major mean?: A large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky, said to resemble a bear. It includes the familiar asterism the Big Dipper and the stars Mizar, Dubhe, and Alkaid.
Where does ursa major come from?: Borrowed from Latin Ursa maior (“(the) greater bear”).

How to pronounce ursa major

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ursa major”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌɝsə ˈmeɪdʒɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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