The Collaborative International Dictionary
Star \Star\ (st[aum]r), n. [OE. sterre, AS. steorra; akin to OFries. stera, OS. sterro, D. ster, OHG. sterno, sterro, G. stern, Icel. stjarna, Sw. stjerna, Dan. stierne, Goth. sta['i]rn[=o], Armor. & Corn. steren, L. stella, Gr. 'asth`r, 'a`stron, Skr. star; perhaps from a root meaning, to scatter, Skr. st[.r], L. sternere (cf. Stratum), and originally applied to the stars as being strewn over the sky, or as being scatterers or spreaders of light. [root]296. Cf. Aster, Asteroid, Constellation, Disaster, Stellar.]
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One of the innumerable luminous bodies seen in the heavens; any heavenly body other than the sun, moon, comets, and nebul[ae].
His eyen twinkled in his head aright, As do the stars in the frosty night.
--Chaucer.Note: The stars are distinguished as planets, and fixed stars. See Planet, Fixed stars under Fixed, and Magnitude of a star under Magnitude.
The polestar; the north star.
--Shak.-
(Astrol.) A planet supposed to influence one's destiny; (usually pl.) a configuration of the planets, supposed to influence fortune.
O malignant and ill-brooding stars.
--Shak.Blesses his stars, and thinks it luxury.
--Addison. -
That which resembles the figure of a star, as an ornament worn on the breast to indicate rank or honor.
On whom . . . Lavish Honor showered all her stars.
--Tennyson. Specifically, a radiated mark in writing or printing; an asterisk [thus, *]; -- used as a reference to a note, or to fill a blank where something is omitted, etc.
(Pyrotechny) A composition of combustible matter used in the heading of rockets, in mines, etc., which, exploding in the air, presents a starlike appearance.
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A person of brilliant and attractive qualities, especially on public occasions, as a distinguished orator, a leading theatrical performer, etc. Note: Star is used in the formation of compound words generally of obvious signification; as, star-aspiring, star-bespangled, star-bestudded, star-blasting, star-bright, star-crowned, star-directed, star-eyed, star-headed, star-paved, star-roofed, star-sprinkled, star-wreathed. Blazing star, Double star, Multiple star, Shooting star, etc. See under Blazing, Double, etc. Nebulous star (Astron.), a small well-defined circular nebula, having a bright nucleus at its center like a star. Star anise (Bot.), any plant of the genus Illicium; -- so called from its star-shaped capsules. Star apple (Bot.), a tropical American tree ( Chrysophyllum Cainito), having a milky juice and oblong leaves with a silky-golden pubescence beneath. It bears an applelike fruit, the carpels of which present a starlike figure when cut across. The name is extended to the whole genus of about sixty species, and the natural order ( Sapotace[ae]) to which it belongs is called the Star-apple family. Star conner, one who cons, or studies, the stars; an astronomer or an astrologer. --Gascoigne. Star coral (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of stony corals belonging to Astr[ae]a, Orbicella, and allied genera, in which the calicles are round or polygonal and contain conspicuous radiating septa. Star cucumber. (Bot.) See under Cucumber. Star flower. (Bot.)
A plant of the genus Ornithogalum; star-of-Bethlehem.
See Starwort (b) .
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An American plant of the genus Trientalis ( Trientalis Americana). --Gray. Star fort (Fort.), a fort surrounded on the exterior with projecting angles; -- whence the name. Star gauge (Ordnance), a long rod, with adjustable points projecting radially at its end, for measuring the size of different parts of the bore of a gun. Star grass. (Bot.)
A small grasslike plant ( Hypoxis erecta) having star-shaped yellow flowers.
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The colicroot. See Colicroot.
Star hyacinth (Bot.), a bulbous plant of the genus Scilla ( S. autumnalis); -- called also star-headed hyacinth.
Star jelly (Bot.), any one of several gelatinous plants ( Nostoc commune, N. edule, etc.). See Nostoc.
Star lizard. (Zo["o]l.) Same as Stellion.
Star-of-Bethlehem (Bot.), a bulbous liliaceous plant ( Ornithogalum umbellatum) having a small white starlike flower.
Star-of-the-earth (Bot.), a plant of the genus P ( Plantago coronopus), growing upon the seashore.
Star polygon (Geom.), a polygon whose sides cut each other so as to form a star-shaped figure.
Stars and Stripes, a popular name for the flag of the United States, which consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, alternately red and white, and a union having, in a blue field, white stars to represent the several States, one for each.
With the old flag, the true American flag, the Eagle, and the Stars and Stripes, waving over the chamber in which we sit.
--D. Webster.Star showers. See Shooting star, under Shooting.
Star thistle (Bot.), an annual composite plant ( Centaurea solstitialis) having the involucre armed with stout radiating spines.
Star wheel (Mach.), a star-shaped disk, used as a kind of ratchet wheel, in repeating watches and the feed motions of some machines.
Star worm (Zo["o]l.), a gephyrean.
Temporary star (Astron.), a star which appears suddenly, shines for a period, and then nearly or quite disappears. These stars were supposed by some astronomers to be variable stars of long and undetermined periods. More recently, variations star in start intensity are classified more specifically, and this term is now obsolescent. See also nova. [Obsolescent]
Variable star (Astron.), a star whose brilliancy varies periodically, generally with regularity, but sometimes irregularly; -- called periodical star when its changes occur at fixed periods.
Water star grass (Bot.), an aquatic plant ( Schollera graminea) with small yellow starlike blossoms.
Wiktionary
n. (plural of lang=en fixed star)
Wikipedia
The fixed stars (from the Latin stellae fixae) are celestial objects that do not seem to move in relation to the other stars of the night sky. Hence, a fixed star is any star other than the Sun. A nebula or other starlike object may also be called a fixed star. People in many cultures have imagined that the stars form pictures in the sky called constellations. In Ancient Greek astronomy, the stars were believed to exist on a giant celestial sphere, or firmament, that revolves daily around Earth.
Usage examples of "fixed stars".
The Earth is encircled by the seven planetary spheres and by the outermost sphere, that of the fixed stars.
He tried to imagine fixed stars and wandering stars, spheres and epicycles, all these words that Liath used so easily—.
He tried to imagine fixed stars and wandering stars, spheres and epicycles, all these words that Liath used so easilybut it only made him impatient.
He tried to imagine fixed stars and wandering stars, spheres and epicycles, all these words that Liath used so easily-but it only made him impatient.
The realm of the fixed stars blazed before her, white hot, as terrible as a firestorm.
She wasn't sure what he meant by the phrase, but surely it had to do with a star reaching the zenith, the point on the sphere of the fixed stars where that star was seen as directly above the observer.
Tendrils of mist played around its base, and its height was lost in a bright blaze of fire, like a ring of flaming swords: the entrance, she knew at once, to the realm of the fixed stars.
One brilliant point of light slid across the screen of fixed stars, growing more intense.
And the Selenites would then ask themselves if the fixed stars also are not so many suns surrounded by their moons and by their other planets, and if the inhabitants of those planets also see other stars unknown to us, which would be that many more suns with as many planets, and so on and on, to infinity.
When he'd taken his star readings, he used the sextant to measure the angle between two fixed stars.
Even the cosmology: the spheres of Moon and sun, the fixed stars beyond.
Even the cosmology: the spheres of Moon and sun, the fixed stars beyond .