Astr. Also 4 arthurus, arturis; arture, ariture, arctour. [L. arctūrus, a. Gr. ἀρκτοῦρος, f. ἄρκτος the Bear + οὖρος guardian, ward (from its situation at the tail of the Bear); the forms arture, etc., were from Fr.] The brightest star in the constellation Bootes; formerly, also, the whole constellation, and sometimes the Great Bear itself.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., IV. v. 132. Þe sterres of arctour.
1382. Wyclif, Amos v. 8. Arture and Orion.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VII. xxiii. (1495), 334. Arthurus is a signe made of vij sterres … but properly Arthurus is a sterre sette behynde the tayle of the sygne that hyght Vrsa maior.
1611. Bible, Job xxxviii. 32. Canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
1704. Pope, Windsor For., 119. When moist Arcturus clouds the sky.
