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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Double \Dou"ble\ (d[u^]b"'l), a. [OE. doble, duble, double, OF.
doble, duble, double, F. double, fr. L. duplus, fr. the root
of duo two, and perh. that of plenus full; akin to Gr.
diplo`os double. See Two, and Full, and cf. Diploma,
Duple.]
1. Twofold; multiplied by two; increased by its equivalent;
made twice as large or as much, etc.
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Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. -- 2
Kings ii. 9.
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Darkness and tempest make a double night. --Dryden.
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2. Being in pairs; presenting two of a kind, or two in a set
together; coupled.
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[Let] The swan, on still St. Mary's lake,
Float double, swan and shadow. --Wordsworth.
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3. Divided into two; acting two parts, one openly and the
other secretly; equivocal; deceitful; insincere.
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With a double heart do they speak. -- Ps. xii. 2.
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4. (Bot.) Having the petals in a flower considerably
increased beyond the natural number, usually as the result
of cultivation and the expense of the stamens, or stamens
and pistils. The white water lily and some other plants
have their blossoms naturally double.
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Note: Double is often used as the first part of a compound
word, generally denoting two ways, or twice the number,
quantity, force, etc., twofold, or having two.
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Double base, or Double bass (Mus.), the largest and
lowest-toned instrument in the violin form; the
contrabasso or violone.
Double convex. See under Convex.
Double counterpoint (Mus.), that species of counterpoint or
composition, in which two of the parts may be inverted, by
setting one of them an octave higher or lower.
Double court (Lawn Tennis), a court laid out for four
players, two on each side.
Double dagger (Print.), a reference mark ([dag]) next to
the dagger ([dagger]) in order; a diesis.
Double drum (Mus.), a large drum that is beaten at both
ends.
Double eagle, a gold coin of the United States having the
value of 20 dollars.
Double entry. See under Bookkeeping.
Double floor (Arch.), a floor in which binding joists
support flooring joists above and ceiling joists below.
See Illust. of Double-framed floor.
Double flower. See Double, a., 4.
Double-framed floor (Arch.), a double floor having girders
into which the binding joists are framed.
Double fugue (Mus.), a fugue on two subjects.
Double letter.
(a) (Print.) Two letters on one shank; a ligature.
(b) A mail requiring double postage.
Double note (Mus.), a note of double the length of the
semibreve; a breve. See Breve.
Double octave (Mus.), an interval composed of two octaves,
or fifteen notes, in diatonic progression; a fifteenth.
Double pica. See under Pica.
Double play (Baseball), a play by which two players are put
out at the same time.
Double plea (Law), a plea alleging several matters in
answer to the declaration, where either of such matters
alone would be a sufficient bar to the action. --Stephen.
Double point (Geom.), a point of a curve at which two
branches cross each other. Conjugate or isolated points of
a curve are called double points, since they possess most
of the properties of double points (see Conjugate). They
are also called acnodes, and those points where the
branches of the curve really cross are called crunodes.
The extremity of a cusp is also a double point.
Double quarrel. (Eccl. Law) See Duplex querela, under
Duplex.
Double refraction. (Opt.) See Refraction.
Double salt. (Chem.)
(a) A mixed salt of any polybasic acid which has been
saturated by different bases or basic radicals, as the
double carbonate of sodium and potassium,
NaKCO3.6H2O.
(b) A molecular combination of two distinct salts, as
common alum, which consists of the sulphate of
aluminium, and the sulphate of potassium or ammonium.
Double shuffle, a low, noisy dance.
Double standard (Polit. Econ.), a double standard of
monetary values; i. e., a gold standard and a silver
standard, both of which are made legal tender.
Double star (Astron.), two stars so near to each other as
to be seen separate only by means of a telescope. Such
stars may be only optically near to each other, or may be
physically connected so that they revolve round their
common center of gravity, and in the latter case are
called also binary stars.
Double time (Mil.). Same as Double-quick.
Double window, a window having two sets of glazed sashes
with an air space between them.
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