Pleiades

plural noun

Ple·​ia·​des ˈplē-ə-ˌdēz How to pronounce Pleiades (audio)
ˈplā-,
chiefly British
ˈplī- How to pronounce Pleiades (audio)
1
: the seven daughters of Atlas turned into a group of stars in Greek mythology
2
: a conspicuous cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus that includes six stars in the form of a very small dipper

Examples of Pleiades in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Crowd favorites like the Orion Nebula (M42), located in the sword of the celestial hunter, and the Pleiades Star Cluster (M45), which gives the automaker Subaru its name and logo, will come soon after. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 March 14: Moon Nears Pleiades Jupiter has some lunar competition come the night of March 14. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2024 In 2023 alone, Republican lawmakers in 37 states introduced a staggering 165 pieces of anti-ESG legislation, according to a report from the strategic research and advisory firm Pleiades Strategy. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 Stick around for Pleiades and Hyades Want to impress your friends at the Super Bowl party even more? Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 6 Feb. 2024 The entire sky will be lit up with not only these planets and the moon, but also the Pleiades, Aldebaran and the Hyades star clusters, along with the Orion Nebula. Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 18 Jan. 2024 Friday, February 16: First Quarter Moon And Pleiades Today, our natural satellite in space reaches its First Quarter stage, when is appears to be half-lit as seen from the surface of Earth. Jamie Carter, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024 The Pleiades are also known as the Seven Little Sisters, the daughters of the god Atlas according to Greek and Roman mythology. Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 4 Feb. 2024 See the Pleiades star cluster above and left of the moon. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 2 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Pleiades.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Pleiades was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near Pleiades

Cite this Entry

“Pleiades.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pleiades. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Pleiades

noun plural
Ple·​ia·​des ˈplē-ə-ˌdēz How to pronounce Pleiades (audio)
: a loose cluster of stars in Taurus that is easily seen by a person with average sight

More from Merriam-Webster on Pleiades

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