cynosure

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She was more than ever now the cynosure, the adored, of the fine young gentlemen.

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Definitions (6)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. noun An object that serves as a focal point of attention and admiration.
  2. noun Something that serves to guide.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (1)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (2)

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. French, Ursa Minor (which contains the guiding star Polaris), from Latin cynosūra, from Greek kunosoura, dog's tail, Ursa Minor : kunos, genitive of kuōn, dog; see kwon- in Indo-European roots + ourā, tail; see ors- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. At first in L. form cynosura; = French cynosura = Portuguese cynosura = Spanish Italian cinosura, from Latin Cynosura, from Greek Κυνόσουρα, the constellation of the Little Bear, containing the star which is now but was not then the pole-star (which forms the tip of the tail), and thus often the object to which the eyes of mariners were directed, literally the dog's tail, from κυνός, dog's (genitive of κύων, dog), + οὔρά, tail.
 

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/ˈsɪnəsjur/
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