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.]
1. One of the innumerable luminous bodies seen in the
heavens; any heavenly body other than the sun, moon,
comets, and nebulae.
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His eyen twinkled in his head aright,
As do the stars in the frosty night. --Chaucer.
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Note: The stars are distinguished as planets, and fixed
stars. See Planet, Fixed stars under Fixed, and
Magnitude of a star under Magnitude.
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2. The polestar; the north star. --Shak.
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3. (Astrol.) A planet supposed to influence one's destiny;
(usually pl.) a configuration of the planets, supposed to
influence fortune.
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O malignant and ill-brooding stars. --Shak.
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Blesses his stars, and thinks it luxury. --Addison.
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4. That which resembles the figure of a star, as an ornament
worn on the breast to indicate rank or honor.
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On whom . . .
Lavish Honor showered all her stars. --Tennyson.
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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.
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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.
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7. A person of brilliant and attractive qualities, especially
on public occasions, as a distinguished orator, a leading
theatrical performer, etc.
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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.
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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.
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Witch \Witch\, n. [OE. wicche, AS. wicce, fem., wicca, masc.;
perhaps the same word as AS. w[imac]tiga, w[imac]tga, a
soothsayer (cf. Wiseacre); cf. Fries. wikke, a witch, LG.
wikken to predict, Icel. vitki a wizard, vitka to bewitch.]
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1. One who practices the black art, or magic; one regarded as
possessing supernatural or magical power by compact with
an evil spirit, esp. with the Devil; a sorcerer or
sorceress; -- now applied chiefly or only to women, but
formerly used of men as well.
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There was a man in that city whose name was Simon, a
witch. --Wyclif (Acts
viii. 9).
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He can not abide the old woman of Brentford; he
swears she's a witch. --Shak.
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2. An ugly old woman; a hag. --Shak.
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3. One who exercises more than common power of attraction; a
charming or bewitching person; also, one given to
mischief; -- said especially of a woman or child.
[Colloq.]
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4. (Geom.) A certain curve of the third order, described by
Maria Agnesi under the name versiera.
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5. (Zool.) The stormy petrel.
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6. A Wiccan; an adherent or practitioner of Wicca, a
religion which in different forms may be paganistic and
nature-oriented, or ditheistic. The term witch applies to
both male and female adherents in this sense.
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Witch balls, a name applied to the interwoven rolling
masses of the stems of herbs, which are driven by the
winds over the steppes of Tartary. Cf. Tumbleweed.
--Maunder (Treas. of Bot.)
Witches' besoms (Bot.), tufted and distorted branches of
the silver fir, caused by the attack of some fungus.
--Maunder (Treas. of Bot.)
Witches' butter (Bot.), a name of several gelatinous
cryptogamous plants, as Nostoc commune, and Exidia
glandulosa. See Nostoc.
Witch grass (Bot.), a kind of grass (Panicum capillare)
with minute spikelets on long, slender pedicels forming a
light, open panicle.
Witch meal (Bot.), vegetable sulphur. See under
Vegetable.
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