Meanings
proper noun
- astronomyA large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky, said to resemble a bear. It includes the familiar asterism the Big Dipper and the stars Mizar, Dubhe, and Alkaid.
My father compounded with my mother under the dragon's tail, and my nativity was under ursa major.
c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]
Origin
- LatinUrsa maior
- LatinUrsa maior
- EnglishUrsa Major
Borrowed from Latin Ursa maior (“(the) greater bear”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek Ἄρκτος Μεγάλη
- Ἄρκτος Μεγάλη (Árktos Megálē)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Arabic الدُّب الْأَكْبَر, بَنَات نَعْش الكُبْرَى
- الدُّب الْأَكْبَر (ad-dub al-ʔakbar)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
- بَنَات نَعْش الكُبْرَى (banāt naʕš al-kubrā)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Bulgarian Голя́ма ме́чка
- Голя́ма ме́чка (Goljáma méčka)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Chinese Mandarin 大熊座
- 大熊座 (Dàxióngzuò)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Czech Velká medvědice
- Velká medvědicelarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Danish Store Bjørn
- Store Bjørnlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Dutch Grote Beer
- Grote Beerlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Esperanto Granda Ursino
- Granda Ursinolarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Estonian Suur Vanker
- Suur Vankerlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Finnish Iso karhu, Otava
- Iso karhularge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
- Otavalarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
French Grande Ourse
- Grande Ourselarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
German Großer Bär
- Großer Bärlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Greek Μεγάλη Άρκτος
- Μεγάλη Άρκτος (Megáli Árktos)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Hindi सप्तर्षि तारामंडल
- सप्तर्षि तारामंडल (saptarṣi tārāmaṇḍal)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Hungarian Nagy Medve
- Nagy Medvelarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Irish an Béar Mór
- an Béar Mórlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Italian Orsa maggiore
- Orsa maggiorelarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Japanese 大熊座, おおぐま座
- 大熊座 (Ōgumaza)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
- おおぐま座 (Ōgumaza)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Korean 큰곰자리
- 큰곰자리 (Keun'gomjari)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Latin Ursa Major
- Ursa Majorlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Latvian Lielais Lācis
- Lielais Lācislarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Malay Beruang Besar
- Beruang Besarlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Norwegian Bokmål Store bjørn
- Store bjørnlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Persian خرس بزرگ, دب اکبر
- خرس بزرگ (xers-e bozorg)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
- دب اکبر (dobb-e akbar)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Polish Wielka Niedźwiedzica
- Wielka Niedźwiedzicalarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Portuguese Ursa Maior
- Ursa Maiorlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Romanian Ursa Mare
- Ursa Marelarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Russian Больша́я Медве́дица
- Больша́я Медве́дица (Bolʹšája Medvédica)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Slovak Veľká medvedica
- Veľká medvedicalarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Spanish Osa Mayor
- Osa Mayorlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Swedish Stora björn
- Stora björnlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Tagalog Daong-daungan, Osa Mayor
- Daong-daunganlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
- Osa Mayorlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Thai กลุ่มดาวหมีใหญ่
- กลุ่มดาวหมีใหญ่ (glùm-daao-mǐi-yài)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Turkish Büyük Ayı
- Büyük Ayılarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Ukrainian Вели́ка Ведме́диця
- Вели́ка Ведме́диця (Velýka Vedmédycja)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Urdu دب اکبر
- دب اکبر (dub akbar)large circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Vietnamese Đại Hùng
- Đại Hùnglarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Welsh yr Arth Fawr
- yr Arth Fawrlarge circumpolar constellation of the northern sky
Cite this entry
APA
Ursa Major. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ursa%20Major
MLA
“Ursa Major.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ursa%20Major. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Ursa Major,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ursa%20Major.
Source: Ursa Major on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.