Etymologically
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cynosure

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈsɪnəzjʊə/ (UK); /ˈsaɪnəʃʊɹ/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Middle French cynosure (“Ursa Minor; guide”),[2][3][4][5] from Latin Cynosūra (“Ursa Minor”),[2][3][4][5] from Ancient Greek κυνόσουρα (kunósoura, “dog's tail, Ursa Minor”),[2][3][4][5] from kunós, the genitive of kúōn “dog”, and ourá “tail”.[2][4][6] The constellation was named for its tail, at the tip of which lies the Pole Star.[5][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The constellation Ursa Minor, or the Pole Star itself (1596);[7] also, figuratively, a guiding star (1596).[7][4] Merriam-Webster dates the word to 1565.[3]

Semantic evolution

Because sailors steered by the Pole Star, the constellation stood for guidance and direction.[4][7] Since the star draws every navigator's eye, the word passed to anything that attracts attention by its brilliance or beauty (1599),[7] which is its main modern sense, as in the cynosure of all eyes.[6][2]

Timeline

  • 1565 – first date in Merriam-Webster.[3]
  • 1596 – Ursa Minor; the Pole Star; a guiding star.[7][4]
  • 1599 – a centre of attraction or admiration.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. Something that strongly attracts attention and admiration; a centre of attraction.
  2. Something that serves as a guide.
  3. (capitalized) The constellation Ursa Minor, or the North Star.

Word family

  • cynosural

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  5. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press