Ursa Major

American

[ur-suh mey-jer] / ˈɜr sə ˈmeɪ dʒər /

noun

Astronomy.

genitive

Ursae Majoris

the Great Bear, the most prominent northern constellation, containing the seven stars that form the Big Dipper.

Ursa Major British

/ ˈɜːsə ˈmeɪdʒə /

noun

Also called: the Great Bear. the Bear. an extensive conspicuous constellation in the N hemisphere, visible north of latitude 40°. The seven brightest stars form the Plough. A line through the two brightest stars points to the Pole Star lying in Ursa Minor

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Ursa Major Scientific

/ ûr′sə /

A constellation in the polar region of the Northern Hemisphere near Draco and Leo. Ursa Major (the Great Bear) contains the seven stars that form the Big Dipper.

Ursa Major Cultural

A constellation; the Great Bear. (See Big Dipper.)

Etymology

Origin of Ursa Major

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 2002, she and Meyer moved into Ursa Major, an architectural landmark whose pool had an entrance in the living room floor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

It is not known what caused the explosion on Ursa Major as it passed between Oran in Algeria and the Spanish town of Aguilas.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2024

Located 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, this galaxy is relatively compact in size but hosts a frenzy of star formation activity.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2024

Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear, is one of the most prominent northern constellations, and its main claim to fame is that it contains the Big Dipper, a highly recognizable asterism.

From National Geographic • Aug. 23, 2023

The stuff seemed to go on forever, and if it hadn’t been for Ursa Major, we would’ve gotten lost.

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023