Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A star cluster in the constellation Taurus: The Pleiades is a prominent open star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters, visible to the naked eye in the night sky.
   • (Greek mythology) The seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione: In mythology, the Pleiades were nymphs, sisters who were transformed into a cluster of stars to escape the pursuit of the hunter Orion.

Examples of Usage

• Proper noun (Astronomy):

  • The Pleiades is one of the nearest star clusters to Earth.
  • We looked through the telescope to observe the Pleiades.

• Proper noun (Mythology):

  • The myth explains how the Pleiades became a constellation.
  • Orion is forever chasing the Pleiades across the sky.

Advanced Usage

• "The Pleiades": Used as a singular collective noun when referring to the astronomical object or the mythological group.
  • The Pleiades has been known since antiquity.
• Cultural Reference: The name is sometimes used metaphorically to refer to a group of seven illustrious people or things.
  • The critics called them the Pleiades of modern poetry.

Variants and Related Words

• Pleiad (noun, singular): A single member of the Pleiades star cluster or the mythological sisters. Rarely used in modern English outside of poetic or historical contexts.
  • She shone like a lone Pleiad in the firmament.

Synonyms

• The Seven Sisters: A common name for the Pleiades star cluster.
• M45: The Messier catalog designation for the Pleiades, used in astronomy.

Related Phrases

• Pleiades cluster: A more specific astronomical term.
  • The Pleiades cluster is a popular target for astrophotographers.

Noun

1. a star cluster in the constellation Taurus
2. (Greek mythology) 7 daughters of Atlas and half-sisters of the Hyades; placed among the stars to save them from the pursuit of Orion