the Little Dipper
noun
US
: a group of seven stars including the North Star in the northern sky that forms the shape of a dipper or ladle and that is smaller than the Big Dipper
Examples of the Little Dipper in a Sentence
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From our point of view on Earth, the meteors will appear to radiate from near the Little Dipper in the constellation Ursa Minor, a pattern of stars in the northern sky that gives the Ursids their name.
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Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 21 Dec. 2025
The Ursids originate from the bowl of the Little Dipper, also known as the Ursa Minor constellation, near the bright orange star called Kochab, Lunsford said.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
Polaris is the brightest star in Ursa Minor, the Little Bear, and if the sky is dark and one is away from city lights the curve of the Little Dipper's handle is easier to see.
—Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025
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Nandika Chatterjee, Time, 21 Dec. 2025
The Ursids originate from the bowl of the Little Dipper, also known as the Ursa Minor constellation, near the bright orange star called Kochab, Lunsford said.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 Dec. 2025
Polaris is the brightest star in Ursa Minor, the Little Bear, and if the sky is dark and one is away from city lights the curve of the Little Dipper's handle is easier to see.
—Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“The Little Dipper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20Little%20Dipper. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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