cynosure

cynosure
noun
cy·;no·;sure ;s;-n;-;shu;r  ;si-
Synonyms of cynosure
1
capitalized : the northern constellation Ursa Minor
also : north star
2
: one that serves to direct or guide
3
: a center of attraction or attention
… they have turned an eyesore into a cynosure.
—Catherine Reynolds
… his rapidly increasing wealth has made him a cynosure in political circles.
—Larissa MacFarquhar


Did you know?
Ancient mariners noted that all the stars in the heavens seemed to revolve around a particular star, and they relied on that star to guide their navigation. The constellation that this bright star appears in is known to English speakers today as Ursa Minor, or the Little Dipper, but the Ancient Greeks called it Kyn;soura, a term that comes from a phrase meaning "dog's tail." Kyn;soura passed into Latin and Middle French, becoming cynosure. When English speakers adopted the term in the 16th century, they used it as a name for both the constellation and the star (which is also known as the North Star or Polaris) and also to identify a guide of any kind. By the 17th century, cynosure was also being used figuratively for anything or anyone that, like the North Star, is the focus of attention or observation.

Synonyms
compass
direction
focus
lodestar
loadstar
polestar
Examples of cynosure in a Sentence
with an unwavering commitment to equal rights for all as his only cynosure
that company is the cynosure for anyone wishing to make it in the music business
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From these beginnings, the Voice grew into a cynosure of the counterculture.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024
The film’s screenplay, co-written by Wenders and Takuma Takasaki, finds its metaphoric cynosure in the Japanese concept of komorebi, which describes the play of light and shadow through the leaves of a tree, every shimmering moment unique.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2023

Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French Cynosure "Ursa Minor," borrowed from Latin Cynos;ra, borrowed from Greek Kyn;soura, from kyn;s, genitive of k;;n "dog" + our; "tail" — more at hound entry 1, ass entry 2

Note: The reason for the Greeks' application of a compound "dog's tail" to the constellation Ursa Minor is mysterious, there being no nearby constellation called "the dog" that would seem to justify such a name. The word may have been distorted by folk etymology from a borrowed name, but if so, the source language is unknown.

First Known Use
1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cynosure was in 1565
See more words from the same year
Phrases Containing cynosure
cynos