Meanings
- astronomyAn open cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus, and the nearest visible such cluster to Earth.
The Pleiades and Hyades are sometimes spoken of as constellations, but this is a mistake; they are integral parts of Taurus.
1893, E. W. Bullinger, Witness of the Stars, London: The author, page 1212 more examples
An early Grecian gem shows three nude figures, hand in hand, standing on the head of the Bull, one pointing to seven stars in line over the back, which Landseer referred to the Hyades.
1899, Richard Hinckley Allen, Star-Names and their Meaning, New York: G.E. Stechert, page 380The Bull was the Bull of Heaven to the Sumerians. It marked the spring equinox and the start of the new year. It's head has always been the Hyades, including Aldebaran.
1998, John H. Roger, “Origins of the ancient constellations: I. The Mesopotamian traditions”, in Journal of the British Astronomy Association, volume 108, number 1, page 24, column 2
Origin
- Ancient GreekὙάδες
- LatinHyades
- Middle EnglishHyades
- EnglishHyades
From Middle English Hyades, Yades, from Latin Hyades, from Ancient Greek Ὑάδες (Huádes), nominative and vocative plural of Ὑ̄̆ᾰ́ς (Hū̆ắs, “one of the Hyades”).
More words from Middle English, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans Hiade
- Hiadean open cluster
Basque Hiadeak
- Hiadeakan open cluster
Catalan Híades
- Híadesan open cluster
Czech Hyády
- Hyádyan open cluster
Finnish hyadit, Hyadit
- hyaditdaughters of Atlas
- Hyaditan open cluster
German Hyaden
- Hyadenan open cluster
Greek Υάδες
- Υάδες (Yádes)an open cluster
Hungarian Hüaszok
- Hüaszokan open cluster
Italian Iadi
- Iadian open cluster
Japanese ヒュアデス
- ヒュアデス (Hyuadesu)an open cluster
Korean 휘아데스
- 휘아데스 (hwiadeseu)an open cluster
Latin Sūculae
- Sūculaean open cluster
Lithuanian Hiadės
- Hiadėsan open cluster
Māori Te Kōkota, Matakaheru
- Te Kōkotaan open cluster
- Matakaheruan open cluster
Norwegian Hyadene
- Hyadenean open cluster
Polish Hiady
- Hiadyan open cluster
Portuguese Híades, Híades
- Híadesdaughters of Atlas
- Híadesan open cluster
Romanian Hiade
- Hiadean open cluster
Russian Гиа́ды, Гиа́ды
- Гиа́ды (Giády)daughters of Atlas
- Гиа́ды (Giády)an open cluster
Slovak Hyády
- Hyádyan open cluster
Spanish Híades, Híades
- Híadesdaughters of Atlas
- Híadesan open cluster
Swedish Hyaderna
- Hyadernaan open cluster
Turkish Boğa kümesi
- Boğa kümesian open cluster
Ukrainian Гіади
- Гіади (Hiady)an open cluster
Cite this entry
Hyades. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hyades
“Hyades.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hyades. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Hyades,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hyades.
Source: Hyades on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.