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.

The Big Dipper is a group of seven stars that are part of the constellation Ursa Major. They appear to form a sort of spoon with a long handle. The group is known as the Plough in Great Britain. The Big Dipper is almost always visible in the northern hemisphere. It serves as a convenient reference point when locating other stars; for example, an imaginary line drawn from the two end stars of the dipper leads to Polaris, the North Star.

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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).

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The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a group of seven bright stars in the constellation Ursa Major
  Synonyms: Dipper, Plough, Charles's Wain, Wain, Wagon

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