*aster*

n. [ L. alabaster, Gr. 'ala`bastros, said to be derived fr. Alabastron, the name of a town in Egypt, near which it was common: cf. OF. alabastre, F. albâtre. ] 1. (Min.) (a) A compact variety or sulphate of lime, or gypsum, of fine texture, and usually white and translucent, but sometimes yellow, red, or gray. It is carved into vases, mantel ornaments, etc. (b) A hard, compact variety of carbonate of lime, somewhat translucent, or of banded shades of color; stalagmite. The name is used in this sense by Pliny. It is sometimes distinguished as oriental alabaster. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A box or vessel for holding odoriferous ointments, etc.; -- so called from the stone of which it was originally made. Fosbroke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Aleconner. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., fr. Gr. 'amfi` + 'asth`r a star. ] (Biol.) The achromatic figure, formed in mitotic cell-division, consisting of two asters connected by a spindle-shaped bundle of rodlike fibers diverging from each aster, and called the spindle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aster aster, star, Gr. 'asth`r star. See Star. ] 1. (Bot.) A genus of herbs with compound white or bluish flowers; starwort; Michaelmas daisy. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Floriculture) A plant of the genus Callistephus. Many varieties (called China asters, German asters, etc.) are cultivated for their handsome compound flowers. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Biol.) A star-shaped figure of achromatic substance found chiefly in cells dividing by mitosis. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. 1. a family of plants with heads composed of many florets, including the aster; daisy; dandelion; goldenrod; marigold; lettuces; ragweed; sunflower; thistle; zinnia.
Syn. -- Compositae, family Compositae, family Asteraceae, aster family [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; starred, fr. 'asth`r star. ] (Zool.) A genus of echinoderms. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Formerly the group of this name included nearly all starfishes and ophiurans. Now it is restricted to a genus including the commonest shore starfishes. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Asterias. ] Radiated, with diverging rays; as, asteriated sapphire. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖‖ } n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. 'asteri`as + -oid. See Asterias. ] (Zool.) A class of Echinodermata including the true starfishes. The rays vary in number and always have ambulacral grooves below. The body is star-shaped or pentagonal. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the Asterioidea. -- n. A starfish; one of the Asterioidea. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Gr. 'aste`rion starry. ] (Anat.) The point on the side of the skull where the lambdoid, parieto-mastoid and occipito-mastoid sutures. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., an asterisk. See Asterisk. ] (Anat.) The smaller of the two otoliths found in the inner ear of many fishes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. asteriscus, Gr. &unr_;, dim. of 'asth`r star. See Aster. ] The figure of a star, thus, &unr_;, used in printing and writing as a reference to a passage or note in the margin, to supply the omission of letters or words, or to mark a word or phrase as having a special character. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;, fr. 'asth`r star; cf. F. astérisme. ] 1. (Astron.) (a) A constellation. [ Obs. ] (b) A small cluster of stars. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Printing) (a) An asterisk, or mark of reference. [ R. ] (b) Three asterisks placed in this manner, &asterism_;, to direct attention to a particular passage. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Crystallog.) An optical property of some crystals which exhibit a star-shaped by reflected light, as star sapphire, or by transmitted light, as some mica. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to asterisms or constellations [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. [ Pref. a- + stern. ] (Naut.) 1. In or at the hinder part of a ship; toward the hinder part, or stern; backward; as, to go astern. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Behind a ship; in the rear. “A gale of wind right astern.” De Foe. “Left this strait astern.” Drake. [ 1913 Webster ]

To bake astern, to go stern foremost. --
To be astern of the reckoning, to be behind the position given by the reckoning. --
To drop astern, to fall or be left behind. --
To go astern, to go backward, as from the action of currents or winds. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. a- not + sternal. ] (Anat.) Not sternal; -- said of ribs which do not join the sternum. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; starlike, starry; 'asth`r star + e'i^dos form: cf. F. astéroïde. See Aster. ] A starlike body; esp. one of the numerous small planets whose orbits lie between those of Mars and Jupiter; -- called also planetoids and minor planets. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to an asteroid, or to the asteroids. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. 'asth`r star + &unr_; scale. ] (Paleon.) A genus of fishes, some of which were eighteen or twenty feet long, found in a fossil state in the Old Red Sandstone. Hugh Miller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;, lit., lightning. ] 1. (Myth.) One of the Pleiades; -- called also Sterope. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. (Astron.) A double star in the Pleiades (21 k and 22 l Pleiadum, of the 5.8 and 6.4 magnitude respectively), appearing as a single star of the 5.3 magnitude to the naked eye. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Gr. 'asth`r star + fy`llon leaf. ] (Paleon.) A fossil plant from the coal formations of Europe and America, now regarded as the branchlets and foliage of calamites. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. a- + start; OE. asterten, asturten. ] To start up; to befall; to escape; to shun. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To escape. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

One who has charge of the baggage at a railway station or upon a line of public travel. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a man who trains ballet dancers. [ PJC ]

n. The conductor of a musical band. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Berg + master: cf. G. Bergmeister. ] Formerly, a local judge among miners; now, an officer of the barmote. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who keeps bees. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To master thoroughly. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Beplastered p. pr. & vb. n. Beplastering. ] To plaster over; to cover or smear thickly; to bedaub. [ 1913 Webster ]

Beplastered with rouge. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Barmaster. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, blasts or destroys. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who boasts; a braggart. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A stone mason's broad-faced chisel. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Burgomaster. ] The mayor, governor, or bailiff of a borough. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. someone who broadcasts on radio or television. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. a mechanical device for scattering something (seed, fertilizer, sand, salt, etc.) in all directions.
Syn. -- spreader. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. See Burgomaster. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A burgomaster. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mining) An officer who directs and lays out the meres or boundaries for the workmen; -- called also bailiff, and barmaster. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ D. burgemeester; burg borough + meester master; akin to G. burgemeister, bürgermeister. See 1st Borough, and Master. ] 1. A chief magistrate of a municipal town in Holland, Flanders, and Germany, corresponding to mayor in England and the United States; a burghmaster. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) An aquatic bird, the glaucous gull (Larus glaucus), common in arctic regions. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ } n. [ F. cadastre. ] (Law.) An official statement of the quantity and value of real estate for the purpose of apportioning the taxes payable on such property; a public register showing the details of ownership and value of land. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. same as cadastre.
Syn. -- cadastre. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Sp. canasta, canastro, basket, fr. L. canistrum. See Canister. ] A kind of tobacco for smoking, made of the dried leaves, coarsely broken; -- so called from the rush baskets in which it is packed in South America. McElrath. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who consumes candles by being up late for study or dissipation. [ 1913 Webster ]

A bookworm, a candlewaster. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who casts; as, caster of stones, etc. ; a caster of cannon; a caster of accounts. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A vial, cruet, or other small vessel, used to contain condiments at the table; as, a set of casters. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A stand to hold a set of cruets. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A small wheel on a swivel, on which furniture is supported and moved. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to place among the stars. ] A placing among the stars; a catalogue of stars. [ 1913 Webster ]

The catasterisms of Eratosthenes. Whewell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the musical director of a choir.
Syn. -- precentor, cantor. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. A vessel employed in sailing along a coast, or engaged in the coasting trade. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who sails near the shore. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who breeds gamecocks. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]