Constellation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌkɒn.stəˈleɪ.ʃən/

Definitions

1. A group of stars forming a recognizable pattern in the night sky, often named after mythological figures or objects
2. A fixed pattern of stars visible from Earth that creates a recognizable shape or image, typically designated with a proper name
3. An arrangement of celestial bodies forming a distinctive configuration that serves as a named reference point in astronomical observation

Etymology: Before it named a pattern of stars, "constellation" was an astrological term for the position of the moon or a planet relative to the rising sign of the zodiac, the sort of reading a horoscope relied on. The star-pattern sense came later, from the same root idea of stars grouped together. The word is built from the Latin prefix "con-", meaning "together", and "stella", meaning "star", with the suffix "-atio" that forms nouns of action or result. Late Latin "constellatio" meant a collection of stars thought to influence human affairs. English took it through Middle English "constellacioun" and "constillacioun", either from Old French or directly from that Late Latin form. Ancient "stella" traces back to a reconstructed Proto-Indo-European word for "star", which also lies behind the English "star" itself. So "constellation" and "star" share a root, though the compound added "together" to describe a grouping of them.

Synonyms: star group, asterism