Virgo

Definitions

1. A constellation in the zodiac, traditionally figured in the shape of a maiden holding an ear of wheat (represented by the bright binary star Spica).
2. Someone with a Virgo star sign
3. The zodiac sign for the virgin, ruled by Mercury, that covers August 23 – September 23 (tropical astrology) or September 16 – October 15 (sidereal astrology).
4. A large-scale gravitational wave detector located in Pisa, Italy.
5. A surname.

Equivalents

Examples

“Now, masters, draw⟳. [They shoot⟳.] O, well said, Lucius! Good boy, in Virgo’s lap.”

“The constellation Virgo is a Y-shaped group, of which α, the star at the foot, is the well-known Spica, a star of the first magnitude. [...] The whole resembles more a cup than the human figure⟳; but when we remember⟳ the symbolic meaning of the cup, that seems to be an obvious explanation of the name⟳ Virgo, which the constellation has borne since the earliest times.”

“In February 2016, scientists announced that the first direct⟳ observation of gravitational waves had been made using just the two LIGO detectors. That was followed by a second announcement in June 2016. Because Virgo was undergoing an extensive upgrade, it was not operating during these first observations.”

CEFR level