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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Look east-northeast from around 3:30 a.m. local time for a slim waning crescent moon rising less than half a degree from the Pleiades open cluster of stars (also known as M45 and the Seven Sisters), with Venus shining brightly close by. Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025 Look to the east before sunrise on June 22 to catch the delicate form of the crescent moon shining with Venus alongside the Pleiades star cluster. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 21 June 2025 When To See The Crescent Moon And The Pleiades In the eastern sky before sunrise on Monday, June 23, 2025, a slender waning crescent moon will be positioned within half a degree of the Pleiades, an open cluster of stars also known as the Seven Sisters and M45. Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025 Saturn will glow in the sky to the right, and the sparkly Pleiades star cluster will be visible just to the pair’s left. Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for Pleiades

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pleiades.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pleiades. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

Pleiades

plural noun
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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!