CENTAUR

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does Centaur mean? 

• CENTAUR (noun)
  The noun CENTAUR has 2 senses:

1. (classical mythology) a mythical being that is half man and half horse

2. a conspicuous constellation in the southern hemisphere near the Southern Cross

  Familiarity information: CENTAUR used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CENTAUR (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(classical mythology) a mythical being that is half man and half horse

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("centaur" is a kind of...):

mythical creature; mythical monster (a monster renowned in folklore and myth)

Domain category:

classical mythology (the system of mythology of the Greeks and Romans together; much of Roman mythology (especially the gods) was borrowed from the Greeks)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "centaur"):

Chiron ((Greek mythology) the learned centaur who tutored Achilles, Asclepius, Hercules, Jason, and other heroes)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A conspicuous constellation in the southern hemisphere near the Southern Cross

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

Centaur; Centaurus

Instance hypernyms:

constellation (a configuration of stars as seen from the earth)

Meronyms (members of "Centaur"):

Alpha Centauri; Rigil; Rigil Kent (brightest star in Centaurus; second nearest star to the sun)

Beta Centauri (the second brightest star in Centaurus)

Omega Centauri (a global cluster in the constellation Centaurus)

Proxima; Proxima Centauri (the nearest star to the sun; distance: 4.3 light years)

 Context examples 

It is a faint red dwarf lying just four light-years away in the southern constellation of Centaurus (The Centaur).

(ALMA Discovers Cold Dust Around Nearest Star, ESO)

"Oh, my goodness! That little goose means a centaur, and she called him a Cyclops," exclaimed Jo, with a burst of laughter.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

It can be seen in the constellation Centaurus (the Centaur), which can be seen primarily in the southern hemisphere.

(Hubble Views Final Stages of a Star’s Life, ESA/NASA)

The leader of the gypsies, a splendid-looking fellow who sat his horse like a centaur, waved them back, and in a fierce voice gave to his companions some word to proceed.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Burning a combination of refined kerosene called RP-1 and liquid oxygen and carrying a single solid-fueled booster, the first stage of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V 411 pushed the spacecraft through the dense lower layers of the atmosphere, then the Centaur upper stage took over, propelling OSIRIS-REx faster and higher.

(Evening Launch Catapults OSIRIS-REx Toward Asteroid Encounter, NASA)