star

Etymology

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, stella, étoile, and estoile. cognates Cognate with Scots starn, ster, North Frisian steer, West Frisian stjer, Saterland Frisian Stiern, Dutch ster, Luxembourgish Stär, German Stern, Yiddish שטערן (shtern), Vilamovian śtaom, Swedish stjärna, Norwegian stjerne, Icelandic stjarna, Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐍉 (stairnō), Spanish estrella, Portuguese estrela, Italian stella, Romanian stea, Occitan estela, Venetian stéła, Sicilian stidda, Sardinian isteddu, Mirandese streilha, Walloon sitoele, Romansch staila, Megleno-Romanian steau̯ă, Istriot stila, Istro-Romanian ste, Latin stēlla, Greek αστέρι (astéri), Ancient Greek ἀστήρ (astḗr), Old Armenian աստղ (astł), Persian ستاره (setâre), Tajik ситора (sitora), Pashto ستوری (storay), Mazanderani اساره (ëssâre), Northern Kurdish stêr, Central Kurdish ئەستێرە (estêre), Zazaki astare, Ossetian стъалы (st’aly), Hindi तारा (tārā), Urdu تارا (tārā), Punjabi ਤਾਰਾ (tārā), Gujarati તારો (tāro), Sanskrit तारा (tārā).

noun

1. Any small luminous dot appearing in the cloudless portion of the night sky, especially with a fixed location relative to other such dots.
2. (astronomy) A luminous celestial body, made up of plasma (particularly hydrogen and helium) and having a spherical shape. Depending on context the sun may or may not be included.
3. (geometry) A concave polygon with regular, pointy protrusions and indentations, usually with four, five, or six points.
4. (acting) An actor in a leading role.
   Many Hollywood stars attended the launch party.
5. An exceptionally talented or famous person, often in a specific field; a celebrity.
   His teacher tells us he is a star pupil.
6. (Jamaica, MLE, African-American Vernacular) (by extension) 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. 2003, Michael Maynard, Games Men Play, page 127
   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] 2017, Les Back, New Ethnicities and Urban Culture: Racisms and Multiculture in Young Lives
   '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.' 2022, Moses McKenzie, An Olive Grove in Ends
7. (printing) An asterisk (*) or symbol (★).
   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. 1960 December, “The Glasgow Suburban Electrification is opened”, in Trains Illustrated, page 714
8. A symbol used to rate hotels, films, etc. with a higher number of stars denoting better quality.
9. 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.
10. (astrology) A planet supposed to influence one's destiny.
    What's in the stars for you today? Find out in our horoscope.
11. A star-shaped ornament worn on the breast to indicate rank or honour.
12. A composition of combustible matter used in the heading of rockets, in mines, etc., which, exploding in the air, presents a starlike appearance.

verb

1. (intransitive) 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. 1902, Robert Marshall Grade, The Haunted Major
2. (transitive) 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. 2004, David W. Menefee, The First Female Stars: Women of the Silent Era, page 4
3. (transitive) To mark with a star or asterisk.
4. (transitive) To set or adorn with stars, or bright, radiating bodies; to bespangle.
5. (intransitive) To shine like a star.