star
nounverbtop 1 000 in film dialogue
- United Kingdom//stɑː(ɹ)//
- United States//stɑɹ//
- Australia//staː(ɹ)//
Any small, natural and bright dot in the sky, most visible in the night or twilight sky. This sense includes the planets, but it is now sometimes used in exclusion of them due to influence from the technical astronomical sense.
noun
- 1
Any small, natural and bright dot in the sky, most visible in the night or twilight sky. This sense includes the planets, but it is now sometimes used in exclusion of them due to influence from the technical astronomical sense.
He loved watching the stars in the sky with her.
- 2
Any small, natural and bright dot in the sky, most visible in the night or twilight sky. This sense includes the planets, but it is now sometimes used in exclusion of them due to influence from the technical astronomical sense. A planet thought to influence one's fate; (figuratively) fate or luck.
What's in the stars for you today? Find out in our horoscope.
star-crossed (meaning 'ill-fated')
But O malignant and ill-boading Starres,[…]
Men bless their stars and call it luxury.
- 3
A very massive ball of plasma with strong enough gravity to have ongoing fusion of hydrogen or heavier elements in its core. In strict technical usage, the Sun is included.
- 4
senses derived from the apparent shape of a star in the sky when blurred by the eyes to have streaks A shape made of a few streaks meeting at a shared midpoint. An asterisk (*) or comparable symbol (e.g., ★, ☆, ✶, ✦, ✧, ✷, ✪, ⭐) inspired by a celestial star.
Above all, the 48-page timetables of the new service, which have been distributed free at every station in the scheme, are a model to the rest of B.R. For the first time on British Railways, so far as we are aware, a substantial timetable has been produced, not only without a single footnote but also devoid of all wearisome asterisks, stars, letter suffixes and other hieroglyphics.
- 5
figurativesenses derived from the apparent shape of a star in the sky when blurred by the eyes to have streaks A shape made of a few streaks meeting at a shared midpoint. A network topology with multiple computers individually merging to one central switch, thus free of risk of collisions. A single point of failure can occur if the switch experiences corruption.
- 6
senses derived from the apparent shape of a star in the sky when blurred by the eyes to have streaks A shape made of a few streaks meeting at a shared midpoint. A simple dance, or part of a dance, where a group of four dancers each put their right or left hand in the middle and turn around in a circle. You call them right-hand stars or left-hand stars, depending on the hand which is in the middle.
- 7
senses derived from the apparent shape of a star in the sky when blurred by the eyes to have streaks A concave polygon with regular, pointy protrusions and indentations, usually with four, five, or six points. A star-shaped ornament worn on the breast to indicate rank or honour in a military. Now often used metonymically for military rankings.
[…]on whom […] / Lavish Honour shower’d all her stars,[…]
three-star general
- 8
senses derived from the apparent shape of a star in the sky when blurred by the eyes to have streaks A concave polygon with regular, pointy protrusions and indentations, usually with four, five, or six points. A symbol used to rate hotels, films, etc. with a higher number of stars denoting better quality.
And the first music review I remember reading was in Rolling Stone, which rated albums on a scale of one to five stars, or so I thought. In 1990, the début solo album by Andrew Ridgeley, who had sung alongside George Michael in the pop duo Wham!, was awarded only half a star.
- 9
senses relating to fame An actor in a leading role.
Many Hollywood stars attended the launch party.
- 10
senses relating to fame An exceptionally talented or famous person, often in a specific field; a celebrity.
His teacher tells us he is a star pupil.
I met my favourite star at the public event.
The king who had worn her colours was dead and gone; the court of which she had been a star had passed away; powerful functionaries and great magistrates, who might perhaps have helped her, were mouldering in their graves; […]
Star reporter, leg-man, cub, veteran gray in the trade—one and all they tried to pin the Bat like a caught butterfly to the front page of their respective journals—soon or late each gave up, beaten. He was news—[…]—the brief, staccato recital of his career in the morgues of the great dailies grew longer and more incredible each day.
- 11
figurativesenses relating to fame (Someone's) success or fame.
someone's star is rising / has risen
It’s only in hindsight that I’m able to appreciate just how high my star had risen. I’d gone from being the student who couldn’t speak in class to being the teacher of the language of a new age, from the child of modest, middle-class Beltway parents to the man living the island life and making so much money that it had lost its meaning.
- 12
A friend, a mate, a pal.
"Wha'ppen, star!" Hector said, grinning to reveal a gold-capped tooth. He told everyone it was solid twenty-four carat, but if it was, he would have wrenched it out with pliers to pawn to the highest bidder by now.
Hello claat, what you doing spar?[…]It's got three ring tones, that's the name for the ring. There's this one, right (ring tone sounds). That's fucking safe, spar. But mostly, I bought it for this, check this one out, claat!
Switches character to the street-wise Ragamuffin, speaking out of the corner of his mouth in Creole: "Whappen now star! Seckle, seckle now people! Cool, cool na baass! [what is happening friends? Settle down]
'Dey ain't mine,' Stacey snapped, flicking her head towards the yutes in the bedroom. 'I'm juss lookin after dem fi mi fren dem. I only av six pickney by tree men enuh, star.'
- 13
A composition of combustible matter used in the heading of rockets, in mines, etc., which, exploding in the air, presents a starlike appearance.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs- Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr Proto-Germanic *sternǭ Proto-West Germanic *sternō Proto-West Germanic *sterrō Old English steorra Middle English sterre English star From Middle English sterre, from Old English steorra (“star”), from Proto-West Germanic *sterrō, variant of *sternō, from Proto-Germanic *sternô, *sternǭ (“star”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂stḗr (“star”). Doublet of aster; related to estoile, étoile, stella, and stelo. Cognates Cognate with Scots starn, ster (“star”), Yola starr, steor (“star”), Saterland Frisian Stiern (“star”), West Frisian stjer (“star”), Cimbrian stèrn (“star”), Dutch ster (“star”), German Stern (“star”), Luxembourgish Stär (“star”), Mòcheno stern (“star”), Vilamovian śtaom (“star”), Yiddish שטערן (shtern, “star”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål stjerne (“star”), Faroese stjørna (“star”), Gutnish stjännå (“star”), Icelandic stjarna (“star”), Norwegian Nynorsk skjødna, stjerne (“star”), Swedish stjärna (“star”), Crimean Gothic stein (“star”), Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐍉 (stairnō, “star”), French étoile (“star”), Istriot stila (“star”), Istro-Romanian ste (“star”), Italian stella (“star”), Megleno-Romanian steau̯ă (“star”), Mirandese streilha (“star”), Occitan estela (“star”), Portuguese estrela (“star”), Romansh staila (“star”), Romanian stea (“star”), Sardinian isteddu (“star”), Sicilian stidda (“star”), Spanish estrella (“star”), Venetan stéła (“star”), Walloon sitoele (“star”), Latin stēlla (“star”), Ancient Greek ἀστήρ (astḗr, “star”), Greek αστέρι (astéri, “star”), Old Armenian աստղ (astł, “star”), Persian ستاره (setâre, “star”), Tajik ситора (sitora, “star”), Pashto ستوری (storay, “star”), Mazanderani اساره (ëssâre, “star”), Northern Kurdish stêr (“star”), Central Kurdish ئەستێرە (estêre, “star”), Zazaki astare (“star”), Ossetian стъалы (st’aly, “star”), Hindi तारा (tārā, “star”), Urdu تارا (tārā, “star”), Punjabi ਤਾਰਾ (tārā, “star”), Gujarati તારો (tāro, “star”), Sanskrit तारा (tārā, “star”).
verb
- 1
To appear as a featured performer or headliner, especially in an entertainment program.
She starred in dozens of silent movies.
I was inundated with invitations; […] I felt, indeed, much as a great actor must when he goes 'starring' in the provinces.
- 2
To feature (a performer or a headliner), especially in a movie or an entertainment program.
The show stars Calista Flockhart as a high-powered lawyer.
"What followed this decision was exactly what we had expected: Mr. Fox, realizing that the public was tiring of Theda Bara in vampire roles, announced that he would star her in a production of Romeo and Juliet," she illustrated.
- 3
To mark with a star or asterisk.
- 4
To set or adorn with stars, or bright, radiating bodies; to bespangle.
Thy gloomy Grandeurs (Nature’s moſt auguſt, / Inſpiring Aſpect!) claim a grateful Verſe; / And, like a ſable Curtain ſtarr’d with Gold, / Drawn o’er my Labours paſt, ſhall cloſe the Scene.
- 5
To shine like a star.
Forms
- plural
- stars
- past tense
- starred
- past participle
- starred
- present participle
- starring
- third person singular
- stars
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