Sagittarius

Sagittarius is a constellation that is interpreted as resembling the figure of an archer. It’s also called The Archer.

A constellation is a group of stars that appear near each other in the sky—especially a group that has been given a name. The point considered the center of the Milky Way galaxy is contained within the Sagittarius constellation.

Sagittarius is considered one of the 12 zodiacal constellations—constellations that appear within a particular portion of the sky called the zodiac.

In astronomy, the zodiac is the band of sky along which the paths of the sun, the moon, and the planets appear to move.

Despite its basis in astronomy, the word zodiac is mainly associated with and most often used in the context of astrology, the nonscientific practice in which the positions of heavenly bodies at certain times are thought to influence or be correlated with human behavior and events. In astrology, zodiac refers to a diagram (often a circular one) representing the zodiac belt and showing the symbols associated with each of the 12 constellations or sections, which are called the signs of the zodiac. Sagittarius is one of these signs. It is situated between Scorpio and Capricorn and is considered the ninth sign of the zodiac.

The other signs of the zodiac are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Aquarius, and Pisces.

The position of the sun in a particular portion of the zodiac at the moment of a person’s birth is thought to correlate with their personality. This is what people are referring to when they talk about their zodiac sign (or star sign or often just sign). People whose sign is Sagittarius are those born between November 22 and December 21.

The word Sagittarius can be used as a noun to refer to someone who is born during this time, as in I was born in late November, so I’m a Sagittarius. The word Sagittarian can be used to mean the same thing. It can also be used as an adjective form of Sagittarius.

Example: Sagittarius is my sign and my favorite constellation.

People with the sign Sagittarius are traditionally considered to be those born in the range of November 22–December 21. However, interpretations vary.

The first records of the word Sagittarius come from the 1300s. It comes from the Latin word for “archer,” from sagitta, meaning “arrow.”

The ancient Greeks associated many constellations with mythical figures, such as Orion the huntsman. Sagittarius is commonly depicted as an archer in the form of a centaur, a mythical beast said to be half-man and half-horse. Sagittarius is sometimes specifically interpreted as referring to Chiron, a kind centaur tutor from Greek mythology.

In astrology, the different signs of the zodiac are thought to be associated with certain personality traits. Traits associated with Sagittarius include curiosity and a love of travel. Sagittarius and the other signs of the zodiac are often used in the context of a person’s horoscope. The word horoscope can refer to a diagram of the heavens that maps the relative position of planets and the signs of the zodiac. It can also refer to a prediction based (or said to be based) on a person’s sign and the location of other celestial bodies at the time they were born.

Get more insight into what really defines a Sagittarius by visiting our article on the many traits of Sagittarians.

What are some other forms related to Sagittarius?

• Sagittarian (noun, adjective)

What are some synonyms for Sagittarius?

• The Archer
• Sagittarian (when Sagittarius is used as a noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with Sagittarius? 

• Sagitta
• sagittal
• sagittary
• sagittate

What are some words that often get used in discussing Sagittarius?

• constellation
• zodiac
• archer
• centaur
• astrology
• November
• December
• horoscope
• sign
• sign of the zodiac
• zodiacal constellation
• astronomy

The word Sagittarius is used to refer to the constellation or the sign of the zodiac named after the constellation. In the context of astrology, people associate a number of different traits with the sign Sagittarius.

ESA/Hubble #Flashback: This image, not unlike a pointillist painting, shows the star-studded centre of the Milky Way towards the constellation of Sagittarius.

Credit: @NASA / @ESA & G. Brammer https://t.co/5F4tF6Cv20 pic.twitter.com/pEF7KvxtG5

— HUBBLE (@HUBBLE_space) September 14, 2020

Stormy Seas in Sagittarius http://t.co/rjDZECMMAe via @nasa pic.twitter.com/J6XWS2ahHm

— Fraser Cain (@fcain) August 8, 2015

This guy on the subway today had a neck tattoo that read "Sagittarius" in very fancy cursive. That is SUCH a Sagittarius thing to do.

— Lucy G. (@LucyWatchTheSky) August 13, 2009

True or False?

Sagittarius is positioned between Scorpio and Capricorn.