lucifer
n. countablen. a name for the planet Venus when it appears in the sky before the sun rises. It is also a literary name for the Devil.
n. the planet Venus when appearing as the morning star. When capitalised in a theological context, it refers to the leader of the fallen angels.
The morning star, also called Lucifer, shone brightly at dawn.
In early astronomical texts, Lucifer was the name given to the celestial body that heralded the coming day.
The poet used the name Lucifer to evoke both the physical beauty of the morning star and the tragic fall of the biblical figure from grace.
From Middle English Lucifer, from Latin Lūcifer (from lūx (“light”) + ferō (“bear, carry”)). Attested in Old English as Lūċifer. Replaced native calque lēohtberend (“lightbearer”) also from the same Latin source. Application of the name to Satan results from what is probably a misinterpretation of Isaiah 14:12 (whence also the corresponding sense of morning star).
When referring to the religious figure, it is a proper noun and always capitalised. In its astronomical sense, it is often treated as a proper name for the planet Venus in a specific phase.