— centaurial, centaurian, centauric , adj.
/sen"tawr/ , n.
1. Class. Myth. one of a race of monsters having the head, trunk, and arms of a man, and the body and legs of a horse.
2. ( cap. ) Astron. the constellation Centaurus.
3. a skillful horseman or horsewoman.
4. ( cap. ) Rocketry. a U.S. upper stage, with a restartable liquid-propellant engine, used with an Atlas or Titan booster to launch satellites and probes.
[ 1325-75; ME, OE centaurus kéntauros ]