Southern Cross

/ˌsʌðə(ɹ)n ˈkɹɒs/

proper noun

A distinctive winter constellation of the southern sky, shaped like a cross, which appears in the flags of several countries in Oceania.

Similar
Crux
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Meanings

proper nounthe Southern Cross
  1. astronomyA distinctive winter constellation of the southern sky, shaped like a cross, which appears in the flags of several countries in Oceania.

    The stars had not quite faded out of the sky, and the Southern Cross was still shining faintly in the heavens; the jungle all round was very still, just as if Nature was waiting to introduce the busy hum of life till the last solemn scene was over.

    1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 167

    Synonyms: Crux

  2. The constellation as a symbol of Australia, New Zealand and various other places in the Southern Hemisphere.
proper noun
  1. A place in Australia:
    1. A rural locality in Charters Towers Region, northern Queensland.
    2. A locality in the Shire of Moyne, south-west Victoria.
    3. A town in the Shire of Yilgarn, Western Australia.

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounA distinctive winter constellation of the southern sky, shaped like a cross, which appears in the flags of several countries in Oceania.

Similar
Crux
Also see
crux

Translations

Afrikaans Suiderkruis
  • Suiderkruisconstellation
Arabic صَلِيب اَلْجَنُوب
  • صَلِيب اَلْجَنُوب (ṣalīb al-janūb)constellation
Bulgarian южен кръст
  • южен кръст (južen krăst)constellation
Catalan Creu del Sud
  • Creu del Sudconstellation
Chinese Mandarin 南十字座, 南十字星
  • 南十字座 (Nánshízì Zuò)constellation
  • 南十字星 (Nánshízì Xīng)constellation
Danish Sydkorset
  • Sydkorsetconstellation
Dutch Zuiderkruis
  • Zuiderkruisconstellation
Esperanto Suda Kruco
  • Suda Krucoconstellation
Finnish Etelän risti
  • Etelän risticonstellation
French Croix du Sud
  • Croix du Sudconstellation
German Kreuz des Südens
  • Kreuz des Südensconstellation
Greek Σταυρός του Νότου
  • Σταυρός του Νότου (Stavrós tou Nótou)constellation
Hindi त्रिशंकु
  • त्रिशंकु (triśaṅku)constellation
Hungarian Dél Keresztje
  • Dél Keresztjeconstellation
Irish an Chros, Cros an Deiscirt
  • an Chrosconstellation
  • Cros an Deiscirtconstellation
Italian Croce del Sud
  • Croce del Sudconstellation
Japanese 南十字星, みなみじゅうじ座
  • 南十字星 (Minami-jūjisei)constellation
  • みなみじゅうじ座 (Minami-jūjisei)constellation
Korean 남십자성, 남십자(南十字)자리
  • 남십자성 (Namsipjaseong)constellation
  • 남십자(南十字)자리 (Namsipjajari)constellation
Malay bintang pari, bintang tohok
  • bintang pariconstellation
  • bintang tohokconstellation
  • palang selatanconstellation
Māori Te Punga, Te Taki-o-Autahi
  • Te Pungaconstellation
  • Te Taki-o-Autahiconstellation
  • Māhutongaconstellation
Polish Krzyż Południa
  • Krzyż Południaconstellation
Portuguese Cruzeiro do Sul
  • Cruzeiro do Sulconstellation
Russian Ю́жный Крест
  • Ю́жный Крест (Júžnyj Krest)constellation
Spanish Crux, Cruz del Sur
  • Cruxconstellation
  • Cruz del Surconstellation
Tagalog Timugang Paripa, Kamaliing
  • Timugang Paripaconstellation
  • Kamaliingconstellation
Vietnamese Nam Thập Tự, Nam Tào
  • Nam Thập Tựconstellation
  • Nam Tàoconstellation
  • Chữ Thập Phương Namconstellation
  • Nam Thậpconstellation
Cite this entry
APA

Southern Cross. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Southern%20Cross

MLA

“Southern Cross.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Southern%20Cross. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Southern Cross,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Southern%20Cross.

Source: Southern Cross on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.