Ursa Minor
noun
Ur·sa Mi·nor
ˌər-sə-ˈmī-nər 
: a constellation that includes the north pole of the heavens and the stars which form the Little Dipper with the North Star at the tip of the handle
called also Little Bear
Examples of Ursa Minor in a Sentence
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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
Unlike Ursa Minor's Jeep Wrangler J30 pop-top, which rises highest at the rear but also lifts at the front, the Two Track is hinged at the rear, with all the lifting happening up front.
—New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2025
The dimmer Little Dipper, which doubles as Ursa Minor or the Little Bear, is standing up on its handle with its only bright star Polaris, otherwise known as the North Star, at the end of the handle.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 3 Aug. 2025
Look to the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor for this shower’s radiant point.
—Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025
Leung was able to combine data from several different telescopes to narrow down the likely position of a repeating FRB, first detected in February 2024, located in the constellation Ursa Minor.
—Ars Technica, 22 Jan. 2025
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Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Unlike Ursa Minor's Jeep Wrangler J30 pop-top, which rises highest at the rear but also lifts at the front, the Two Track is hinged at the rear, with all the lifting happening up front.
—New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2025
The dimmer Little Dipper, which doubles as Ursa Minor or the Little Bear, is standing up on its handle with its only bright star Polaris, otherwise known as the North Star, at the end of the handle.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 3 Aug. 2025
Look to the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor for this shower’s radiant point.
—Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025
Leung was able to combine data from several different telescopes to narrow down the likely position of a repeating FRB, first detected in February 2024, located in the constellation Ursa Minor.
—Ars Technica, 22 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ursa Minor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ursa%20Minor. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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Ursa Minor
noun
Ursa Mi·nor
-ˈmī-nər
: the group of stars that includes the north pole of the heavens and the stars which form the Little Dipper with the North Star at the tip of the handle
called also Little Bear
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