different between asterism vs asterisk

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ?????????? (asterismós, “group of stars”), from ????? (ast?r, “star”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?ast???z?m/

Noun

asterism (plural asterisms)

1. (astronomy) An unofficial constellation (small group of stars that forms a visible pattern).

   The Big Dipper, Summer Triangle, and Orion's Belt are asterisms.

   • 1825, Geo G. Carey, Astronomy, as it is known at the present day, London, p. 66 f.:

     Of the constellations, or asterisms. [...] It therefore became necessary to adopt a more general method of distinguishing them. This was accomplished by portioning out the heavens into imaginary figures, of men, birds, fishes, &c. called Constellations or Asterisms.
2. A rarely used typographical symbol (?, three asterisks arranged in a triangle), used to call attention to a passage or to separate subchapters in a book.
3. (mineralogy) A star-shaped figure exhibited by some crystals by reflected light (as in a star sapphire) or by transmitted light (as in some mica).

Related terms

• aster
• asterisk
• asteroid

Translations

See also

• syzygy

Anagrams

• Reitsmas, Ritsemas, St. Maries, maisters, maistres, misrates, semistar, smarties

English

Alternative forms

• asterisc
• asterix (eye dialect)

Etymology

From Late Latin asteriscus, from Ancient Greek ?????????? (asterískos, “a little star, asterisk, used in manuscripts to mark passages”), diminutive of ????? (ast?r, “a star”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?æst???sk/, /?æst??sk/

Noun

asterisk (plural asterisks)

1. The symbol *.
2. Something in the shape of or resembling the asterisk symbol.
3. (sports, US) A blemish in an otherwise outstanding achievement.

   They came into the tournament highly ranked, but with a little bit of an asterisk as their last two wins had been unconvincing.

Translations

See also

Typography

Verb

asterisk (third-person singular simple present asterisks, present participle asterisking, simple past and past participle asterisked)

1. (transitive) To mark or replace with an asterisk symbol (*); star.

Related terms

• aster
• asterism
• asteroid

Further reading

• asterisk in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• asterisk in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• sarkiest, skaiters

Danish

Noun

asterisk c (singular definite asterisken, plural indefinite asterisker)

1. asterisk

Inflection

Swedish

Noun

asterisk c

1. asterisk

Declension