| asterism | 1. <astronomy> A constellation. A small cluster of stars. 2. An asterisk, or mark of reference. Three asterisks placed in this manner, <asterism/, to direct attention to a particular passage. 3. <chemistry> An optical property of some crystals which exhibit a star-shaped by reflected light, as star sapphire, or by transmitted light, as some mica. Origin: Gr, fr. Star; cf. F. Asterisme. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
|---|