cynosure

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UK/ˈsɪnəzjʊə/UK/-sjʊə/UK/-ʃʊə/US/ˈsaɪnəʃʊɹ/

noun

That which serves to guide or direct; a guiding star.

“let faith be your cynosure to walk by”

OriginMiddle French Cynosure ← Latin Cynosūra ← Ancient Greek Κυνόσουρα →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

cynosure1

nouncynosure (plural cynosures)

plural cynosures

  1. Alternative letter-case form of Cynosure: Ursa Minor or Polaris, the North Star, used as a guide by navigators.
  2. figurativelyThat which serves to guide or direct; a guiding star.

    let faith be your cynosure to walk by

  3. figurativelySomething that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration.

    Towers, and battlements it sees Bosom'd high in tufted trees, Where perhaps some beauty lies, The cynosure of neighbouring eyes.

    1645, John Milton, L'Allegro
    2 more examples

    Meanwhile the fair young Queen, in her halls of state, walks like a goddess of Beauty, the cynosure of all eyes; as yet mingles not with affairs; heeds not the future; least of all, dreads it.

    1837, Thomas Carlyle, “Astræa Redux”, in The French Revolution: A History […], volume I (The Bastille), London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC, book II (The Paper Age)

    With anglophobia driving out anglophilia, the king – as during the Seven Years War – came to represent the very cynosure of patriotic zeal.

    2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 306

Cynosure2

proper noun

alternative Cynosura · alternative cynosure

  1. Ursa Minor or Polaris, the North Star, used as a guide by navigators.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
lodestarpole star

Origin

cynosure · noun

  1. Ancient GreekΚυνόσουρα“Ursa Minor”
  2. LatinCynosūra“Ursa Minor”
  3. Middle FrenchCynosure“Ursa Minor; Polaris”
  4. Englishcynosure

From Middle French Cynosure (“Ursa Minor; Polaris”), from Latin Cynosūra (“Ursa Minor”), from Ancient Greek Κυνόσουρα (Kunósoura, “Ursa Minor”, literally “dog’s tail”), from κυνός (kunós, “dog's”) + οὐρά (ourá, “tail”).

More words from Middle French, Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Cynosure · proper noun

  1. Ancient GreekΚυνόσουρα“Ursa Minor”
  2. LatinCynosūra“Ursa Minor”
  3. Middle FrenchCynosure“Ursa Minor; Polaris”
  4. EnglishCynosure

From Middle French Cynosure (“Ursa Minor; Polaris”), from Latin Cynosūra (“Ursa Minor”), from Ancient Greek Κυνόσουρα (Kunósoura, “Ursa Minor”, literally “dog’s tail”), from κυνός (kunós, “dog's”) + οὐρά (ourá, “tail”).

More words from Middle French, Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish johtotähti, huomion keskipiste
  • johtotähtithat which serves to guide or direct
  • huomion keskipistesomething that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration
French tramontane, guide
  • tramontanethat which serves to guide or direct
  • guidethat which serves to guide or direct
  • mentorthat which serves to guide or direct
  • chien d'aveuglethat which serves to guide or direct
  • parangonthat which serves to guide or direct
  • point de miresomething that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration
  • ciblesomething that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration
  • foyersomething that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration
German Leitstern, Anziehungspunkt
  • Leitsternthat which serves to guide or direct
  • Anziehungspunktsomething that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration
  • Blickfangsomething that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration
  • Fokussomething that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration
Italian tramontana, guida
  • tramontanathat which serves to guide or direct
  • guidathat which serves to guide or direct
Romanian țintă
  • țintăsomething that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration
Russian путево́дная звезда́, центр внима́ния
  • путево́дная звезда́ (putevódnaja zvezdá)that which serves to guide or direct
  • центр внима́ния (centr vnimánija)something that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration
  • средото́чие внима́ния (sredotóčije vnimánija)something that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration
Spanish tramontana, guia
  • tramontanathat which serves to guide or direct
  • guiathat which serves to guide or direct
  • lazarillothat which serves to guide or direct
  • blanco de las miradassomething that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration
  • focosomething that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration
Cite this entry
APA

cynosure. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cynosure

MLA

“cynosure.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cynosure. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cynosure,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cynosure.

Source: cynosure on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.