Arctus¹

Meaning

1. femininethe Ursa Major constellation
2. femininethe Ursa Minor constellation
   Incidit etiam compluribus erratio, quibus de causis minor Arctus Phoenice appelletur. [...] Thales enim, qui [...] hanc primus Arctum appellavit, natione fuit Phoenix.Very many make an error regarding why it is called the Smaller Bear in Phoenician. … Thales of Miletus, who … was the first to call it a Bear, was of Phoenician descent.perh. post 2nd c. CE but ancient, Hyginus astronomus, Poeticon Astronomicon 2.2
3. femininein pluralboth the Ursa Major and the Ursa Minor
   Nonnulli etiam Helicen et Cynosuram nymphas esse Iouis nutrices dicunt, et hac re etiam pro beneficio in mundo conlocatas, et utrasque Arctos appellatas esse, quas nostri Septentriones dixerunt.Some say the Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are Jupiter's nursing nymphs, and for this reason they were placed on the world [sky] for our benefit, and were both named Arctos ("the Bears"), which we [the Romans] named the Septentriones ("the Northerners").perh. post 2nd c. CE but ancient, Hyginus astronomus, Poeticon Astronomicon 2.2
4. femininenorth
   Juravit tibi iam nivalis ArctusThe snowy north has already sworn itself to you89 CE – 96 CE, Statius, Silvae 4.3.153

Origins

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Ἄρκτος (Árktos), ἄρκτος (árktos). Doublet of ursus.

Meaning

1. alternativemasculinealternative spelling of Arctus
2. masculineused as a specific epithet, meaning bear or bear-like, or northern

Declension