Added 6 October 2026
star
/stɑː(ɹ)/ noun
In Latin: stēlla, astrum, aster Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about star at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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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.
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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.
- 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.
verb
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To appear as a featured performer or headliner, especially in an entertainment program.
She starred in dozens of silent movies.
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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.
- To mark with a star or asterisk.
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)