constellation

Etymology

From Middle English constellacioun, constillacioun, from Middle French constellation, from Latin constellātiō, from cōn (“with”) + stēlla (“star, astral body”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌkɒn.stəˈleɪ.ʃən/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌkɑn.stəˈleɪ.ʃən/
• Hyphenation: con‧stel‧la‧tion
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

constellation (plural constellations)

1. (astronomy) An asterism, an arbitrary formation of stars perceived as a figure or pattern.
   • 1824, Astronomical Recreations; or, Sketches of the Relative Position and Mythological History of the Constellations, Philadelphia, p. 78:

     Harpa Georgii, or the Harp of George, is a new constellation introduced on the maps by one of the German astronomers, in honour of the late king of England, George III.

2. An image associated with a group of stars.
3. (modern astronomy) Any of the 88 officially by the IAU recognized regions of the sky, including all stars and celestial bodies in the region. [1920s]
4. (astrology) The configuration of planets at a given time (notably of birth), as used for determining a horoscope.
5. (figuratively) A wide, seemingly unlimited assortment.
   • A constellation of possibilities.
   • 2006, Edwin Black, chapter 2, in Internal Combustion‎:

     Throughout the 1500s, the populace roiled over a constellation of grievances of which the forest emerged as a key focal point. The popular late Middle Ages fictional character Robin Hood, dressed in green to symbolize the forest, dodged fines for forest offenses and stole from the rich to give to the poor. But his appeal was painfully real and embodied the struggle over wood.

6. (spaceflight) A fleet of satellites of the same purpose (such as the set of GPS satellites, or Iridium satcom fleet).
7. A configuration or grouping.
   • Your computer's software constellation helps you do your work faster.
8. A network of connections that exists between people who are in polyamorous relationships, for example between one person, their partner, and that person's partner (the first person's metamour).

See also

• constellation on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• Constellation in the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.
• asterism
• Category:Constellations

Etymology

From Middle French constellation, from Latin constellātiō, from cōn (“with”) + stēlla (“star, astral body”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃s.tɛ.la.sjɔ̃/

Noun

constellation f (plural constellations)

1. constellation (all senses)

Further reading

• “constellation” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).