star \star\ staumr, 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'irn=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. root296. cf.
   aster, asteroid, constellation, disaster, stellar.
   1. one of the innumerable luminous bodies seen in the
      heavens; any heavenly body other than the sun, moon,
      comets, and nebulae.
      1913 webster

            his eyen twinkled in his head aright,
            as do the stars in the frosty night.  --chaucer.
      1913 webster

   note: the stars are distinguished as planets, and fixed
         stars. see planet, fixed stars under fixed, and
         magnitude of a star under magnitude.
         1913 webster

   2. the polestar; the north star. --shak.
      1913 webster

   3. astrol. a planet supposed to influence one's destiny;
      usually pl. a configuration of the planets, supposed to
      influence fortune.
      1913 webster

            o malignant and ill-brooding stars.   --shak.
      1913 webster

            blesses his stars, and thinks it luxury. --addison.
      1913 webster

   4. that which resembles the figure of a star, as an ornament
      worn on the breast to indicate rank or honor.
      1913 webster

            on whom . . .
            lavish honor showered all her stars.  --tennyson.
      1913 webster

   5. 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.
      1913 webster

   6. pyrotechny a composition of combustible matter used in
      the heading of rockets, in mines, etc., which, exploding
      in the air, presents a starlike appearance.
      1913 webster

   7. a person of brilliant and attractive qualities, especially
      on public occasions, as a distinguished orator, a leading
      theatrical performer, etc.
      1913 webster

   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.
         1913 webster

   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 sapotaceae
      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 zool., any one of numerous species of stony
      corals belonging to astraea, 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 a plant of the genus ornithogalum;
          star-of-bethlehem.
      b see starwort
      b .
      c 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 a small grasslike plant hypoxis erecta having
          star-shaped yellow flowers.
      b the colicroot. see colicroot.

   star hyacinth bot., a bulbous plant of the genus scilla
      scilla autumnalis; -- called also star-headed
      hyacinth.

   star jelly bot., any one of several gelatinous plants
      nostoc commune, nostoc edule, etc.. see nostoc.

   star lizard. zool. 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 plantago
      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 zool., 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.
      1913 webster
see also:
stratum aster asteroid constellation disaster stellar 
planets fixed stars planet fixed stars fixed 
magnitude of a star magnitude blazing star double star multiple star 
shooting star blazing double nebulous star star anise 
star apple chrysophyllum cainito sapotaceae star conner star coral 
astraea orbicella star cucumber cucumber star flower 
ornithogalum starwort trientalis trientalis americana star fort 
star gauge star grass hypoxis erecta colicroot star hyacinth 
scilla scilla autumnalis star-headed hyacinth star jelly nostoc commune 
nostoc edule nostoc star lizard stellion star-of-bethlehem 
ornithogalum umbellatum star-of-the-earth plantago plantago coronopus star polygon 
stars and stripes star showers shooting star shooting star thistle 
centaurea solstitialis star wheel star worm temporary star nova 
variable star periodical star water star grass schollera graminea 

chrysophyllum cainito
     n : evergreen tree of west indies and central america having
         edible purple fruit star-shaped in cross section and dark
         green leaves with golden silky undersides syn: star
         apple, caimito
see also:
star apple caimito