| star | To set or adorn with stars, or bright, radiating bodies; to bespangle; as, a robe starred with gems. "A sable curtain starred with gold." Origin: Starred; Starring. 1. One of the innumerable luminous bodies seen in the heavens; any heavenly body other than the sun, moon, comets, and nebulae. "His eyen twinkled in his head aright, As do the stars in the frosty night." (Chaucer) The stars are distinguished as planets, and fixed stars. See Planet, Fixed stars under Fixed, and Magnitude of a star under Magnitude. 2. The polestar; the north star. 3. <astronomy> A planet supposed to influence one's destiny; (usually pl) a configuration of the planets, supposed to influence fortune. "O malignant and ill-brooding stars." (Shak) "Blesses his stars, and thinks it luxury." (Addison) 4. That which resembles the figure of a star, as an ornament worn on the breast to indicate rank or honor. "On whom . . . Lavish Honor showered all her stars." (Tennyson) 5. Specifically, a radiated mark in writing or printing; an asterisk [thus, ]; used as a reference to a note, or to fill a blank where something is omitted, etc. 6. <chemistry> A composition of combustible matter used in the heading of rockets, in mines, etc, which, exploding of a air, presents a starlike appearance. 7. A person of brilliant and attractive qualities, especially on public occasions, as a distinguished orator, a leading theatrical performer, etc. Star is used in the formation of compound words generally or obvious signification: as, star-aspiring, star-bespangled, star-bestudded, star-blasting, star-bright, star-crowned, star-directed, star-eyed, star-headed, star-paved, star-roofed; star-sprinkled, star-wreathed. Blazing star, Double star, Multiple star, Shooting star, etc. See Blazing, Double, etc. <astronomy> Nebulous star, a small well-defined circular nebula, having a bright nucleus at its center like a star. <botany> Star anise, a polygon whose sides cut each other so as to form a star-shaped figure. Stars and Stripes, a popular name for the flag of the United States, which consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, alternately red and white, and a union having, in a blue field, white stars to represent the several States, one for each. "With the old flag, the true American flag, the Eagle, and the Stars and Stripes, waving over the chamber in which we sit." (D. Webster) Star showers. See Shooting star, under Shooting. <botany> Star thistle, an aquatic plant (Schollera graminea) with small yellow starlike blossoms. Origin: OE. Sterre, AS. Steorra; akin to OFries. Stera, OS. Sterro, D. Ster, OHG. Sterno, sterro, G. Stern, Icel. Stjarna, Sw. Stjerna, Dan. Stierne, Goth. Stairno, Armor. & Corn. Stern, L. Stella, Gr, Skr. Star; perhaps from a root meaning, to seater, Skr. St, L. Sternere (cf. Stratum), and originally applied to the stars as beingstrewn over the sky, or as beingscatterers or spreaders of light. 296. Cf. Aster, Asteroid, Constellation, Disaster, Stellar. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
|---|---|
| star-read | Doctrine or knowledge of the stars; star lore; astrology; astronomy. "Which in star-read were wont have best insight." (Spenser) Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| starch | <biochemistry> Storage carbohydrate of plants, consisting of amylose (a linear _(1-4) glucan) and amylopectin (an _(1-4) glucan with _(1-6) branch points). Present as starch grains in plastids, especially in amyloplasts and chloroplasts. (18 Nov 1997) |
| starch equivalent | The amount of oxygen consumed in the combustion of a given weight of fat as compared with that consumed in the combustion of an equal weight of starch; the figure is about 2.38, that for starch being taken as 1. (05 Mar 2000) |
| starch gum | <chemistry> A translucent, gummy, amorphous substance, nearly tasteless and odorless, used as a substitute for gum, for sizing, etc, and obtained from starch by the action of heat, acids, or diastase. It is of somewhat variable composition, containing several carbohydrates which change easily to their respective varieties of sugar. It is so named from its rotating the plane of polarization to the right; called also British gum, Alsace gum, gommelin, leiocome, etc. See Achroodextrin, and Erythrodextrin. Origin: Cf. F. Dextrine, G. Dextrin. See Dexter. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| starch sugar | See: d-glucose. (05 Mar 2000) |
| starch synthase | <enzyme> An enzyme that catalyses the transfer of glucose from adpglucose to glucose-containing polysaccharides in 1,4-alpha-linkages. Chemical name: ADPglucose:1,4-alpha-D-glucan 4-alpha-D-glucosyltransferase Registry number: EC 2.4.1.21 (12 Dec 1998) |
| starch-eating | A morbid craving for starch. Synonym: starch-eating. Origin: amylo-+ G. Phago, to eat (05 Mar 2000) |
| starch-iodine test | A test for sweating in which iodine in oil is painted on the skin, followed by dusting with a starch powder which turns blue-black in the presence of iodine and moisture. (05 Mar 2000) |
| starchwort | <botany> The cuckoopint, the tubers of which yield a fine quality of starch. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| starcraft | <study> In its etymological signification, the science of the stars; among the ancients, synonymous with astronomy; subsequently, the art of judging of the influences of the stars upon human affairs, and of foretelling events by their position and aspects. Astrology was much in vogue during the Middle Ages, and became the parent of modern astronomy, as alchemy did of chemistry. It was divided into two kinds: judicial astrology, which assumed to foretell the fate and acts of nations and individuals, and natural astrology, which undertook to predict events of inanimate nature, such as changes of the weather, etc. Origin: F. Astrologie, L. Astrologia, fr. Gr, fr. Astronomer, astrologer; star + discourse, to speak. See Star. (04 Mar 1998) |
| stare | 1. To look with fixed eyes wide open, as through fear, wonder, surprise, impudence, etc.; to fasten an earnest and prolonged gaze on some object. 2. To be very conspicuous on account of size, prominence, colour, or brilliancy; as, staring windows or colours. 3. To stand out; to project; to bristle. Synonym: To gaze, to look earnestly. (26 Nov 1998) |
| starfinch | <zoology> The European redstart. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| starfire tokamak | <radiobiology> A conceptual design study of a modular tokamak reactor that operates in a steady-state condition while using conventional power-generating systems. (09 Oct 1997) |
| starfish | 1. <zoology> Any one of numerous species of echinoderms belonging to the class Asterioidea, in which the body is star-shaped and usually has five rays, though the number of rays varies from five to forty or more. The rays are often long, but are sometimes so short as to appear only as angles to the disklike body. The ophiuroids are also sometimes called starfishes. See Brittle star, and Ophiuroidea. Synonym: sea star, five-finger, and stellerid. (26 Nov 1998) |
| brittle star | Any species of ophiuran starfishes. See Ophiuroidea. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
|---|---|
| venous star | A small, red nodule formed by a dilated vein in the skin; caused by increased venous pressure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| water star grass | <botany> An aquatic plant (Schollera graminea) with grassy leaves, and yellow star-shaped blossoms. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| mother star | The single star figure at the end of prophase in mitosis. Synonym: mother star. Origin: mono-+ G. Aster, star (05 Mar 2000) |
| polar star | One of the figures forming the diaster. Synonym: polar star. (05 Mar 2000) |
| sea star | <zoology> A starfish, or brittle star. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| sun star | <zoology> See Sun star, under Sun. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| daughter star | One of the figures forming the diaster. Synonym: polar star. (05 Mar 2000) |
| day-star | 1. The morning star; the star which ushers in the day. "A dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts." (2 Peter i. 19) 2. The sun, as the orb of day. "So sinks the day-star in the ocean bed, And yet anon repairs his drooping head, And tricks his beams, and with new-spangled ore Flames in the forehead of the morning sky." (Milton) Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |