Ursa Minor : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: Ursa Minor	by the DICT Development Group
3 results for Ursa Minor
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
Ursa Minor n a constellation outside the zodiac that rotates around the North Star Synonym(s): Little Bear, Ursa Minor
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Ursa \Ur"sa\, n. [L. ursa a she-bear, also, a constellation, fem. of ursus a bear. Cf. {Arctic}.] (Astron.) Either one of the Bears. See the Phrases below. {Ursa Major} [L.], the Great Bear, one of the most conspicuous of the northern constellations. It is situated near the pole, and contains the stars which form the Dipper, or Charles's Wain, two of which are the Pointers, or stars which point towards the North Star. {Ursa Minor} [L.], the Little Bear, the constellation nearest the north pole. It contains the north star, or polestar, which is situated in the extremity of the tail.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Bear \Bear\, n. [OE. bere, AS. bera; akin to D. beer, OHG. bero, pero, G. b[84]r, Icel. & Sw. bj[94]rn, and possibly to L. fera wild beast, Gr. [?] beast, Skr. bhalla bear.] 1. (Zo[94]l.) Any species of the genus Ursus, and of the closely allied genera. Bears are plantigrade Carnivora, but they live largely on fruit and insects. Note: The European brown bear ({U. arctos}), the white polar bear ({U. maritimus}), the grizzly bear ({U. horribilis}), the American black bear, and its variety the cinnamon bear ({U. Americanus}), the Syrian bear ({Ursus Syriacus}), and the sloth bear, are among the notable species. 2. (Zo[94]l.) An animal which has some resemblance to a bear in form or habits, but no real affinity; as, the woolly bear; ant bear; water bear; sea bear. 3. (Astron.) One of two constellations in the northern hemisphere, called respectively the {Great Bear} and the {Lesser Bear}, or {Ursa Major} and {Ursa Minor}. 4. Metaphorically: A brutal, coarse, or morose person. 5. (Stock Exchange) A person who sells stocks or securities for future delivery in expectation of a fall in the market. Note: The bears and bulls of the Stock Exchange, whose interest it is, the one to depress, and the other to raise, stocks, are said to be so called in allusion to the bear's habit of pulling down, and the bull's of tossing up. 6. (Mach.) A portable punching machine. 7. (Naut.) A block covered with coarse matting; -- used to scour the deck. {Australian bear}. (Zo[94]l.) See {Koala}. {Bear baiting}, the sport of baiting bears with dogs. {Bear caterpillar} (Zo[94]l.), the hairy larva of a moth, esp. of the genus {Euprepia}. {Bear garden}. (a) A place where bears are kept for diversion or fighting. (b) Any place where riotous conduct is common or permitted. --M. Arnold. {Bear leader}, one who leads about a performing bear for money; hence, a facetious term for one who takes charge of a young man on his travels.