Star

Star, stär, n. one of the bright bodies in the heavens, except the sun and moon: one of the heavenly bodies shining by their own light, and which keep the same relative position in the heavens: anything star-like or star-shaped: a representation of a star worn as a badge of rank or honour: a person of brilliant or attractive qualities: the chief actor or actress in a dramatic company: (print.) an asterisk (*).—v.t. to set with stars: to bespangle.—v.i. to shine, as a star: to attract attention: to appear as a star-actor (To Star it, esp. on a provincial tour):—pr.p. star′ring; pa.t. and pa.p. starred.—ns. Star′-ap′ple, the fruit of the West Indian tree Chrysophyllum Cainito; Star′-blast′ing, the noxious influence of the stars.—adjs. Star′-blind, so blind as not to see the stars: half-blind; Star′-broi′dered (Tenn.), embroidered with figures in the shape of stars.—ns. Star′-buzz′ard, an American goshawk; Star′-cat′alogue, a list of stars, with their places, magnitudes, &c.—adj. Star′-crossed, not favoured by the stars.—ns. Star′-drift, a common proper motion of a number of fixed stars in the same region of the heavens; Star′-dust, cosmic dust, matter in fine particles falling upon the earth from some outside source, like meteorites; Star′-finch, the redstart; Star′fish (Asteroidea), an Echinoderm, nearly allied to the Brittle-stars (Ophiuroidea) and to the Sea-urchins (Echinoidea); Star′-flow′er, one of various plants with bright star-shaped flowers, the Star-of-Bethlehem: chickweed; Star′-fort, a fort surrounded with projecting angles, like the points of a star; Star′-fruit, a small water-plant of southern Europe, with long-pointed radiating carpels; Star′-gāz′er, an astrologer: an astronomer; Star′-gāz′ing, astrology; Star′-grass, a grass-like plant, with star-shaped, yellow flowers; Star′-hy′acinth, a bulbous-rooted plant, a species of squill, with pinkish purple flowers, found on the coast in the south of England; Star′-jell′y, the common species of nostoc.—adj. Star′less, having no stars visible: having no light from stars.—n. Star′light, light or lustre of the stars.—adjs. Star′-like, resembling a star: radiated like a star: bright, illustrious; Star′lit, lighted by the stars.—ns. Star′-nose, a North American mole; Star′-of-Beth′lehem, a garden plant of the lily family, with bright white star-like flowers: the miraculous star of the Nativity (Matt. ii. 2, 9, 10).—adj. Star′-proof (Milt.), impervious to starlight.—n. Star′-read (Spens.), knowledge of the stars, astrology.—adj. Starred, adorned or studded with stars.—ns. Star′-reed, a South American plant used in Peru against dysentery, &c.; Star′riness.—adj. Star′ry, abounding or adorned with stars: consisting of, or proceeding from, the stars: like, or shining like, the stars.—n. Stars′-and-stripes, the flag of the United States of America, with thirteen stripes alternately red and white, and a blue field containing as many stars as there are states.—adj. Star′-spang′led, spangled or studded with stars.—n. Star′-stone, a variety of corundum which, when cut in a particular way, exhibits a reflection of light in the form of a star.—adj. Star′-strown (Tenn.), strewn or studded with stars.—ns. Star′-this′tle, a species of centaury, so called from its star-like flowers; Star′-wheel, a spur-wheel with V-shaped teeth; Star′wort, a genus of plants nearly allied to the Asters, with star-like flowers. [A.S. steorra; Ger. stern, L. stella (for sterula), Gr. astēr.]