CYNOSURE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cynosure mean? 

• CYNOSURE (noun)
  The noun CYNOSURE has 2 senses:

1. something that provides guidance (as Polaris guides mariners)

2. something that strongly attracts attention and admiration

  Familiarity information: CYNOSURE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CYNOSURE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Something that provides guidance (as Polaris guides mariners)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

let faith be your cynosure to walk by

Hypernyms ("cynosure" is a kind of...):

counsel; counseling; counselling; direction; guidance (something that provides direction or advice as to a decision or course of action)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Something that strongly attracts attention and admiration

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Context example:

if he was the cynosure of all eyes he didn't notice

Hypernyms ("cynosure" is a kind of...):

center; center of attention; centre; centre of attention (the object upon which interest and attention focuses)

 Context examples 

Then I thought of Eliza and Georgiana; I beheld one the cynosure of a ball-room, the other the inmate of a convent cell; and I dwelt on and analysed their separate peculiarities of person and character.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)