late 16th cent.: from French, or from Latin cynosura, from Greek kunosouradogs tail (also Ursa Minor), from kuōn, kun-dog + ouratail. The term originally denoted the constellation Ursa Minor, or the pole star which it contains, long used as a guide by navigators
英英释义网络释义
noun
1.something that provides guidance (as Polaris guides mariners);
let faith be your cynosure to walk by
2.something that strongly attracts attention and admiration;
if he was the cynosure of all eyes he didn't notice