Altair

noun

Al·​tair al-ˈtī(-ə)r How to pronounce Altair (audio)
-ˈter,
ˈal-ˌtī(-ə)r,
-ˌter
: the brightest star in the constellation Aquila

Examples of Altair in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Siemens chief executive cited the firm’s roughly $10 billion acquisition of U.S. engineering software firm Altair, saying the company has recently been expanding its U.S. footprint. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2025 There was the Summer Triangle: Vega, with its disk of dust; the fast-rotating Altair; and Deneb, believed to be more than 2000 light years away. — Lane Sainty, USA TODAY, 24 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, shortened from Arabic al-nasr al-ṭāʼir "the flying eagle," a name for the line of stars Alpha, Beta and Gamma Aquilae

Note: According to Paul Kunitzsch, Arabische Sternnamen in Europa (Wiesbaden, 1959), the Arabic name (with many variants) was applied to the single star Alpha Aquilae for convenience in astrolabe manuals. In Arabic star nomenclature, al-nasr al-ṭāʼir, "the flying eagle" in Aquila was opposed to al-nasr al-wāqiʻ, "the falling eagle," applied to the three stars Alpha, Epsilon and Zeta Lyrae.

First Known Use

1730, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Altair was in 1730

Rhymes for Altair

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Browse Nearby Words

Altaic
Altair
Altaist
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Cite this Entry

“Altair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Altair. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

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