[ur-suh mahy-ner] 
[ur-see mi-nawr-is, -nohr-] . Astronomy. | the Little or Lesser Bear, the northernmost constellation, containing the stars that form the Little Dipper, the outermost of which, at the end of the handle, is Polaris. |
| Ursa Minor n. A constellation having the shape of a ladle with Polaris at the tip of its handle. Also called Little Bear. [From Late Latin minor Ursa : minor, lesser + ursa, bear.] |
The Little Bear or Little Dipper; the constellation that contains the North Star (Polaris).
| Ursa Minor
A ladle-shaped constellation very near the north celestial pole. Ursa Minor (the Lesser Bear) contains the seven stars that form the Little Dipper. Polaris, the North Star, is at the end of the dipper's handle. |