| the group of seven bright stars in Ursa Major resembling a dipper in outline. |
| Big Dipper n. A cluster of seven stars in the constellation Ursa Major, four forming the bowl and three the handle of a dipper-shaped configuration. Also called Charles's Wain, Plow. |
A constellation in the northern sky. The two stars on the far end of the bowl of the dipper point toward the North Star. The Big Dipper is part of the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear).