Cynosure: the center of attention. Think of a dinosaur. He is always the cynosure. Incidentally, if I were half horse, and half man, I would be the centaur of attention.
A Cynosure can also be something that serves as a guide. Polaris, in the constellation Ursa Minor directed sailors and travelers for years. Polaris was a cynosure.
Cynosure comes from the Latin word cynasura meaning, the Little Bear. Of course, in Latin the Little Bear is the constellation, Ursa Minor.
In Greek mythology, Cynosura (Κυνοσούρα) was a nymph on Mount Ida, Crete. Cynosura was one of Zeus’ nurses. Remember the story? Zeus’ father Cronus tried to eat him. For his protection, Zeus was placed in the Greek witness protection program (or something like that). Hidden from the gods, Zeus lived on the island of Crete. While there, Cynosura nursed him, took care of him, and helped him open his first bank account. Later, in gratitude, Zeus placed her in the sky as the constellation Ursa Minor.
Cynosure ultimately comes from the Greek phrase κυνὸς οὐρά (kynos oura), meaning “dog’s tail”. The moral of the story is this: If you open a bank account in Greece for a minor, he may eventually grow up and call you a dog’s tail.
Here is how you should pronounce cynosure:
