cy·no·sure / ˈsīnəˌshoŏr; ˈsin-/ • n. [in sing.] a person or thing that is the center of attention or admiration: the Queen was the cynosure of all eyes.ORIGIN: late 16th cent.: from French, or from Latin cynosura, from Greek kunosoura ‘dog's tail’ (also ‘Ursa Minor’), from kuōn, kun- ‘dog’ + oura ‘tail.’ The term originally denoted the constellation Ursa Minor, or the star Polaris that it contains, long used as a guide by navigators.

cynosure constellation Ursa Minor; ‘guiding star’ XVI; centre of interest XVII. — F. cynosure or L. cynosūra — Gr. kunósoura, f. kunós, g. of kūōn dog + ourā́ tail.