Aquarius

How to spell aquarius

8 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce aquarius

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does aquarius mean?

1. nounThe eleventh sign of the zodiac, traditionally covering people born between late January and mid February.
2. nounA large, faint constellation in the southern sky, depicted as a figure pouring water from a jar.

Aquarius in a sentence

• Anyone born in early February falls under aquarius.

• The astronomy app pointed the telescope toward aquarius near the horizon.

• The magazine printed a cheerful horoscope for aquarius this month.

• On a clear autumn night you can just make out the dim stars of aquarius.

Where does aquarius come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes straight from the Latin aquarius, which literally meant 'water carrier' or 'water bearer', a noun built on aqua, the Latin word for water. The suffix -arius was used in Latin to form words meaning 'a person connected with' a thing, so an aquarius was someone whose business was water, and in classical times the term could even name an official who managed an aqueduct or water supply. Ancient astronomers gave the name to the constellation depicting a figure pouring water from a jar, and from there it became one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. English adopted the astronomical and astrological term directly from Latin, keeping the original spelling intact. The same aqua root waters a whole family of English words, including 'aquarium', 'aquatic', and 'aqueduct', which is a useful reminder that the tricky middle of the word starts with the qu of aqua.

How the word is built

• aqua- (water)
• -arius (Latin suffix meaning 'connected with' or 'one who'), giving 'water carrier'