Word
aster
US/ˈæstɝ/
UK/ˈɑːstɐ/
Definition
n. a small star or a tiny star-like object. It is an old word that people used to describe things that looked like stars in the sky.
n. a small star or a star-like object. Primarily used in archaic or poetic contexts to describe celestial bodies or small, bright points of light.
Examples
“The poet compared the tiny lights to an aster in the night sky.”
“In the old maps, the navigator marked the position of a distant aster to help guide the ship.”
“The astronomer noted that the faint glow in the telescope appeared as a single aster, though it was actually a distant galaxy composed of billions of stars.”
Examples
simple
“The poet compared the tiny lights to an aster in the night sky.”
contextual
“In the old maps, the navigator marked the position of a distant aster to help guide the ship.”
complex
“The astronomer noted that the faint glow in the telescope appeared as a single aster, though it was actually a distant galaxy composed of billions of stars.”
Real-World Examples
“Plants such as cyclamen, chrysanthemum, aster and winter pansies can be planted now as soil moisture is restored.” Etymology
From Latin astēr, from Ancient Greek ἀστήρ (astḗr). Doublet of star; related to estoile, étoile, stella, and stelo.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.