# star

Pronunciation: US say "STAHR" /stɑɹ/; UK say "STAH" /stɑː(ɹ)/

## Noun

1. A huge, distant ball of very hot gas, like the sun, seen at night as a small, bright point of light in the sky.
   - Simple: A bright point of light in the night sky. It is a huge ball of very hot gas like our sun.
   - _A single star glimmered low on the horizon at dusk._
   - _To the naked eye, a bright planet can look just like any other star._
2. An exceptionally talented or famous person, especially in a particular field; a celebrity.
   - Simple: A very famous person, or someone who is very good at something, such as a singer or sports player.
   - _The young striker quickly became a star of the national team._
   - _Pop stars often travel with large security teams._
4. A symbol used to rate things such as hotels and films, where a higher number of stars denotes better quality.
   - Simple: A small mark shaped like a star, used to show how good something is.
   - _Reviewers gave the restaurant a single star for its poor service._
   - _Each additional star on the label signals higher energy efficiency._
5. An actor who plays a leading role in a film, play, or television program.
   - Simple: An actor who plays one of the main parts in a show or movie.
   - _She landed her first job as the star of a major film._
   - _The two stars shared top billing throughout the production._
6. A concave polygon with regular, pointed tips and inward notches around its edge, usually having four, five, or six points.
   - Simple: A flat shape whose edge goes out in sharp, even points and back in between them, usually four, five, or six.
   - _The center block of the quilt is a large star whose five points alternate red and blue._
   - _To find the area of the six-pointed star, the class split it into a hexagon and six small triangles._
7. The element or character in a group, dish, work or event that stands out most or draws the most attention.
   - Simple: The thing or character that people notice most in a group, a meal, a story or an event.
   - _Roasted garlic is the undisputed star of this soup._
   - _For many visitors, the giant blue whale skeleton is the star of the museum's new hall._
8. An asterisk (*) or comparable symbol such as ★, inspired by the shape of a celestial star.
   - Simple: A mark like * or ★ used in writing and on screens.
   - _She typed a star to flag the footnote at the bottom of the page._
   - _Each correction was marked with a small star in the margin._
10. A planet thought to influence a person's fate; figuratively, one's luck or fate.
   - Simple: A bright point in the sky believed to shape someone's fate, or simply their luck or destiny.
   - _She always said she had been born under a lucky star, and for most of her life her luck held._
   - _He cursed his stars after the deal collapsed at the last minute._
11. A star-shaped badge on a uniform showing military rank, usually on the shoulder or collar, or a breast star of an order of honor; also the rank itself.
   - Simple: A star-shaped badge on a uniform that shows an officer's rank or an honor, and now also the rank itself.
   - _The admiral wore four stars on his collar to show his rank._
   - _He was promoted and pinned a new star to his shoulder._
12. An especially kind, helpful or generous person, so called in thanks or praise. *(colloquial, UK)*
   - Simple: A person you thank or praise because they were very kind, helpful or generous.
   - _You've tidied the whole kitchen? You're a star!_
   - _The volunteers who ran the tea stall all weekend were absolute stars._
13. A shape formed by a few streaks that meet at a single shared midpoint.
   - Simple: A shape made of a few lines that meet at the same middle point.
   - _A pebble struck the windshield and left a star in the glass, with cracks running out from the point of impact._
   - _With a small aperture, the streetlights in the photo become crisp stars with thin rays._
14. Someone's success or fame, especially regarded as something that rises and falls.
   - Simple: A person's success or fame, especially how it grows or fades over time.
   - _The young senator's star was rising fast within the party._
   - _After years of hits, the band's star began to fade._
17. A friend, buddy, or pal, especially as a friendly term of address. *(dialectal, Jamaica, Multicultural London English)*
   - Simple: A friend or buddy, often used when speaking warmly to someone you like.
   - _What's good, star? Haven't seen you in ages._
   - _Yes, star! Long time no see, how's your mum doing?_

## Verb

3. To play the leading role in a film, play, or show, or (of a film or show) to have someone in the leading role.
   - Simple: To be the main actor in a film or show, or to have someone as the main actor.
   - _The film stars an Oscar-winning actress in the title role._
   - _Action movies often star athletes who later become household names._
9. To mark something with a star or asterisk.
   - Simple: To put a star or asterisk next to something to point it out.
   - _Reviewers star the films they consider essential viewing._
   - _She starred every passage that needed revision._
15. To shine or sparkle with the brightness of a star.
   - Simple: To shine brightly the way a star does in the night sky.
16. To adorn or set something with stars or bright, radiating points; to spangle.
   - Simple: To cover or decorate something with stars or small points of bright light.
   - _After sunset, the lamps of the fishing boats star the dark bay._
   - _Dewdrops starred the meadow each morning._

## Other meanings

- (noun) A pellet of combustible material packed into fireworks, rockets, or shells, which burns with a bright, often colored point of light once ignited in the air.
- (noun) A network layout in which each device connects separately to a central hub or switch, which becomes a single point of failure.
- (noun) A dance figure in which four dancers each place one hand in the center and turn together in a circle, named a right- or left-hand star by the hand used.

## Origin

From Middle English "sterre," from Old English "steorra" ("star"), going back through Proto-Germanic to the Proto-Indo-European root "*h₂stḗr" ("star"). It is a doublet of "aster" and is related to German "Stern," Dutch "ster," Latin "stēlla," and Ancient Greek "astḗr," among many others.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/star (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).