star

[ stahr ]

noun

1. any of the heavenly bodies, except the moon, appearing as fixed luminous points in the sky at night.
2. Astronomy. any of the large, self-luminous, heavenly bodies, as the sun, Polaris, etc.
3. any heavenly body.
4. Astrology. a heavenly body, especially a planet, considered as influencing humankind and events.
5. a person's destiny, fortune, temperament, etc., regarded as influenced and determined by the stars.
6. a conventionalized figure usually having five or six points radiating from or disposed about a center.
7. this figure used as an ornament, award, badge, mark of excellence, etc.:

   The movie was awarded three stars.

8. Jewelry.
   1. a gem having the star cut.
   2. the asterism in a crystal or a gemstone, as in a star sapphire.
   3. a crystal or a gemstone having such asterism.
   4. star facet.
9. Printing. an asterisk.
10. a person who is celebrated or distinguished in some art, profession, or other field.
11. a prominent actor, singer, or the like, especially one who plays the leading role in a performance.
12. U.S. Military. battle star.
13. U.S. Navy.
    1. a gold or bronze star worn on the ribbon of a decoration or medal to represent a second or subsequent award of the same decoration or medal.
    2. a silver star worn in place of five gold or bronze stars.
14. a white spot on the forehead of a horse.
15. Heraldry. a mullet.

adjective

1. celebrated, prominent, or distinguished; preeminent:

   a star basketball player; a star reporter.

2. of or relating to a star or stars.

verb (used with object)

, starred, star·ring.

1. to set with or as with stars; spangle.
2. to feature as a star:

   an old movie starring Rudolph Valentino.

3. to mark with a star or asterisk, as for special notice.

verb (used without object)

, starred, star·ring.

1. to shine as a star; be brilliant or prominent.
2. (of a performer) to appear as a star:

   He starred in several productions of Shaw's plays.

star

/ stɑː /

noun

1. any of a vast number of celestial objects that are visible in the clear night sky as points of light
2. 1. a hot gaseous mass, such as the sun, that radiates energy, esp as light and infrared radiation, usually derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior, and in some cases as ultraviolet, radio waves, and X-rays. The surface temperature can range from about 2100 to 40 000°C See also Hertzsprung-Russell diagram giant star white dwarf neutron star black hole
   2. ( as modifier ) astralsiderealstellar

      a star catalogue

3. astrology
   1. a celestial body, esp a planet, supposed to influence events, personalities, etc
   2. plural another name for horoscope
4. an emblem shaped like a conventionalized star, usually with five or more points, often used as a symbol of rank, an award, etc
5. a small white blaze on the forehead of an animal, esp a horse
6. Also calledstar facet any of the eight triangular facets cut in the crown of a brilliant
7. 1. a distinguished or glamorous celebrity, often from the entertainment world
   2. ( as modifier )

      star quality

8. See asterisk
   another word for asterisk
9. often capital a type of keelboat, designed to be crewed by two people
10. slang:prison.
    a convict serving his first prison sentence
11. see stars
    see stars to see or seem to see bright moving pinpoints of light, as from a blow on the head, increased blood pressure, etc

verb

1. tr to mark or decorate with a star or stars
2. to feature or be featured as a star

   ``Greed'' starred Erich von Stroheim

   Olivier starred in ``Hamlet''

star

/ stär /

1. A large, spherical celestial body consisting of a mass of gas that is hot enough to sustain nuclear fusion and thus produce radiant energy. Stars begin their life cycle as clouds of gas and dust called nebulae and develop, through gravitation and accretion, into increasingly hot and dense protostars . In order to reach the temperature at which nuclear reactions are ignited (about 5 million degrees K), a protostar must have at least 80 times the mass of Jupiter. For most of its life a star fuses hydrogen into helium in its core, during which period it is known as a dwarf star and is classed according to its surface temperature and luminosity (or spectral type) on a continuum called the main sequence in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. When a star exhausts the hydrogen in its core, it typically develops into one of several non-main-sequence forms depending on how massive it is. Smaller stars, with masses less than eight times that of the Sun, become red giants and end their lives, after blowing away their outer layers, as white dwarfs . More massive stars become supergiants and end their lives, after exploding in a supernova, as either a neutron star or a black hole .
2. Any of the celestial bodies visible to the naked eye at night as fixed, usually twinkling points of light, including binary and multiple star systems.

star

1. An object in the sky that sends out its own light , generated by nuclear reactions in its center. There are many billions of stars in our galaxy , the Milky Way .

Notes

Each star has a definite lifetime and dies when it uses up its supply of fuel. ( See black hole , neutron star , supernova , and white dwarf .)

New stars are forming constantly.

All chemical elements heavier than helium are created in the center of stars and are returned to space when the star dies.

Our own sun is a medium-sized star.

Derived Forms

• ˈstarˌlike, adjective
• ˈstarless, adjective

Other Words From

• star·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of star¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English sterre, Old English steorra; cognate with Old High German sterra; akin to Old High German sterno, Old Norse stjarna, Gothic stairno, Latin stella, Greek astḗr, Sanskrit stṛ

Word History and Origins

Origin of star¹

Old English steorra ; related to Old Frisian stēra , Old Norse stjarna , German Stern , Latin stella

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. make someone see stars, to deal someone a severe blow causing the illusion of brilliant streaks of light before the eyes:

   The blow on the head made him see stars, and the next thing he knew he was in the hospital.

2. thank one's lucky stars, to acknowledge one's good fortune; be grateful: Also thank one's stars.

   Instead of complaining about hospital bills she should thank her lucky stars she's still alive.

More idioms and phrases containing star

In addition to the idiom beginning with star , also see born under a lucky star ; see stars ; thank one's lucky stars .

Example Sentences

It all seemed do-able, since he had already scoped out the area, found tunnels, and had caught star-nosed moles there before.

From Popular-Science

The team has been led by one of the most unusual stars, in an offense that produces a most unusual shot chart.

From FiveThirtyEight

With 700 million users, Alipay is another rising star in the search landscape.

From Search Engine Watch

King Richard, a biopic about Venus and Serena Williams’ father starring Will Smith, shifted from November 25, 2020, to November 19, 2021.

From Vox

We can directly link it to the gravitational influence from the three stars that are in the center of the disk.

From Popular-Science

Former Red Sox star Curt Schilling says his politics are keeping him out of Cooperstown.

From The Daily Beast

It was seen by a small delegation of star-struck prelates and dignitaries who later described the film as “moving.”

From The Daily Beast

I just recently rewatched all six Star Wars movies the other day… Oh wow, from the beginning?

From The Daily Beast

The star announces he is to marry his 27-year-old boyfriend.

From The Daily Beast

Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice turned herself in to serve a 15-month sentence for bankruptcy fraud.

From The Daily Beast

I had no idea who they were, as the Grand Duke was in morning costume, and had no star or decoration to distinguish him.

From Project Gutenberg

When rapidly deposited, as by artificial precipitation, triple phosphate often takes feathery, star- or leaf-like forms.

From Project Gutenberg

She liked him less than ever, nevertheless wished that he were her brother and the rising star in American politics.

From Project Gutenberg

According to a weekly paper not only is Constance Binney a famous screen star, but she is also a first-class ukelele player.

From Project Gutenberg

I do not quite agree with the 'Star' as to the Fire-crest not being "very uncommon," though it occasionally occurs.

From Project Gutenberg