the brightest star in the sky after the sun, lying in the constellation Canis Major. It is a binary star whose companion, Sirius B, is a very faint white dwarf. Distance: 8.6 light years
Also called: the Dog Star, Canicula, Sothis ▶ Related adjectives: canicular, cynic
Word origin
C14: via Latin from Greek Seirios, of obscure origin