English Reference

Word

aquarius

Phoneticsaquar·ius

/əˈkwɛɹiəs/

Definitions

01astrological sign

B2

n. the eleventh sign of the zodiac, represented by a person carrying water.

n. the eleventh sign of the zodiac, traditionally associated with the period from January 20 to February 18 in tropical astrology.

“My birthday is in early February, so my star sign is Aquarius.”

“In modern astrology, Aquarius is considered an air sign, despite its traditional representation as a figure pouring water from an urn.”

Synonyms

Water Bearer

02a person

B2

n. someone who was born under the sign of Aquarius.

n. a person born when the sun was in the zodiacal sign of Aquarius.

“She is a typical Aquarius — very independent and always full of new ideas.”

“The author claims that an Aquarius is often characterized by a strong sense of social justice and a desire for intellectual freedom.”

03constellation

C1 · Science

n. a group of stars in the sky that looks like a person carrying water.

n. a large constellation of the southern hemisphere, situated between Capricornus and Pisces.

“On a clear night, you can see the stars that make up Aquarius.”

“The constellation Aquarius is home to several notable deep-sky objects, including the Helix Nebula and the Saturn Nebula.”

Technical

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin aquārius (“water carrier”) (from aqua (“water”) + -arius), calque of Ancient Greek Ὑδροχόος (Hudrokhóos), referring to the Mesopotamian god Ea who was commonly depicted with water pouring from his shoulders or from vases; compare the constellation name in Akkadian 𒀯𒄖𒆷 (ṣinundu), Sumerian 𒀯𒄖𒆷 (ᵐᵘˡGU.LA, “The Great One, Ea”). See also aquarium.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Related words

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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