Alioth

noun

Al·​i·​oth ˈa-lē-ˌäth 

astronomy

: a variable star of the first magnitude that is seen in the handle of the Big Dipper and is one of the two brightest stars in that constellation

Alioth, otherwise known as HD 112185, is a variable star with a very well-defined period, its brightness changing by 0.03 magnitude every 5.09 days.

—Shireen Gonzaga, Astronomy, December 1991

called also Epsilon Ursae Majoris

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined above

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