Deneb

noun

Den·​eb ˈde-ˌneb How to pronounce Deneb (audio)
-nəb
: a star of the first magnitude in Cygnus

Examples of Deneb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The lowest two stars are Altair and Deneb, which mark the tails of the great eagle and swan in the constellations Aquila and Cygnus, respectively. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Start with Deneb, one of the most luminous stars known, then follow the line downward through the cross. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Powered by liquid oxygen and methane, Deneb has a thrust of 15,000 pounds. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026 Vega in Lyra the Lyre or Harp; Altair in Aquila the Eagle; and Deneb, the brightest star in Cygnus the Swan. — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for Deneb

Word History

Etymology

Arabic dhanab al-dajāja, literally, the tail of the hen

First Known Use

circa 1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Deneb was circa 1867

Browse Nearby Words

Déné
Deneb
Deneb Kaitos
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deneb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Deneb. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

Deneb

noun
Den·​eb ˈden-ˌeb How to pronounce Deneb (audio)
-əb
: the brightest star in the group of stars of Cygnus

More from Merriam-Webster on Deneb

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Deneb

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All