centaur
n. countablen. a creature from Greek myths that has the body of a horse and the upper body of a human. In space science, it also describes a small object that moves between the asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt.
n. a mythological creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse. In an astronomical context, it refers to a minor planet with an orbit that crosses that of a gas giant, typically having a semi-major axis between those of Jupiter and Neptune.
The artist painted a centaur holding a bow and arrow.
In the museum, a marble statue of a centaur was displayed alongside other ancient Greek sculptures.
While the mythological centaur represents a blend of human intellect and animal strength, the astronomical version describes a transient object whose orbit is significantly influenced by the gravitational pull of the outer planets.
From Latin centaurus, from Ancient Greek κένταυρος (kéntauros), from Κένταυρος (Kéntauros, “a member of a savage race from Thessaly”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 26, 2026