star
stah
Star (noun) means a huge, glowing ball of gas in space, held together by gravity, that produces light and heat through nuclear fusion. Example: “On a clear night you can see thousands of stars.”
noun
1
A huge, glowing ball of gas in space, held together by gravity, that produces light and heat through nuclear fusion.
"On a clear night you can see thousands of stars."
"The Sun is the closest star to Earth."
"Astronomers study how a star slowly changes over billions of years."
2
A shape with pointed rays, or the symbol representing it (such as ★ or *).
"She drew a gold star next to his name for good work."
"The children cut a paper star and stuck it on top of the tree."
"Press the star key on the phone to go back to the menu."
3
A famous or exceptionally talented performer, athlete, or public figure.
"He became a star after his first film was released."
"She was the star player on the basketball team."
"The singer was a huge star, and fans waited outside the hotel for hours."
verb
1
To play the leading role in a film, show, or performance.
"The actor will star in the upcoming superhero movie."
"She stars as a detective in the new television drama."
"Which famous actors star in the school's charity film this year?"
2
To mark something with a star or asterisk, often to highlight it.
"She starred the most important items on her to-do list."
"I starred the emails I needed to answer first."
"Teachers starred the best answers so pupils could easily find them later."
How to use star
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA bright object in the night sky, a pointed symbol shaped like one, or a famous, standout person.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
shooting star
star player
star in a movie
five-star rating
star of the show
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Word forms
- Plural
- stars
- Third person singular
- stars
- Past tense
- starred
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
On a clear night you can see thousands of _____.
Etymology
From Old English steorra, going back through Proto-Germanic to an ancient Indo-European root also behind Latin stella and Greek astēr — making "star" a distant cousin of words like "astronomy" and "disaster."
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for star
See all rhymes for star →Frequently asked questions
What does “star” mean?
The word “star” means a huge, glowing ball of gas in space, held together by gravity, that produces light and heat through nuclear fusion. In plain terms, a bright object in the night sky, a pointed symbol shaped like one, or a famous, standout person.
How do you pronounce “star”?
“Star” is pronounced stah (/stɑɹ/ in IPA).
How do you use “star” in a sentence?
Here is “star” used in a sentence: “On a clear night you can see thousands of stars.”
What is another word for “star”?
Words with a similar meaning to “star” include aster, ✶, ＊ and sun.
What part of speech is “star”?
Depending on how it is used, “star” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “star” come from?
The word “star” comes from Latin. From Old English steorra, going back through Proto-Germanic to an ancient Indo-European root also behind Latin stella and Greek astēr — making "star" a distant cousin of words like "astronomy" and "disaster.".
Is “star” a common word?
“Star” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “star” have?
“Star” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a huge, glowing ball of gas in space, held together by gravity, that produces light and heat through nuclear fusion.
What is the difference between a star and a planet?
A star produces its own light and heat through nuclear fusion in its core, like our Sun. A planet does not — it merely reflects light from a nearby star and orbits it. Stars are vastly larger and hotter than planets. In short, stars shine by their own power, while planets only borrow it.
Is the Sun a star?
Yes. The Sun is a star — an average-sized one, often called a yellow dwarf. It appears far bigger and brighter than other stars only because it is so much closer to Earth. Every other star you see in the night sky is a distant sun, many of them far larger than our own.
Why do stars twinkle?
Stars appear to twinkle because their light passes through Earth's atmosphere, where moving pockets of air at different temperatures bend the light slightly in different directions. This makes the star seem to flicker. Planets twinkle far less because they show a small disc rather than a single concentrated point of light.
What are stars made of?
Stars are mostly hydrogen and helium, the two lightest and most abundant elements in the universe. Under immense gravity, hydrogen fuses into helium in the core, releasing the light and heat we see. Over their lifetimes, stars forge heavier elements, which spread through space when they eventually die and explode.
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