star
Definition
A large ball of gas in space that produces light; a celebrity or famous performer; a shape with five or more points; an asterisk; to have a leading role
To remember it
Picture the bright, golden glow of this star shining brightly in the sky. Think of how stars twinkle and guide us at night.
Examples
- A1
On a clear night, you can see thousands of stars.
- A1
She is a big star — everyone knows her name.
- A2
The restaurant received three stars in the guide — a very prestigious rating.
- A2
The children decorated the Christmas tree with paper stars.
- B1
The film starred two of the biggest names in Hollywood and broke box office records in its opening weekend.
- B1
The nearest star to our solar system, Proxima Centauri, is over four light years away.
- B2
The Boston Consulting Group's growth-share matrix divides products into "stars" (high growth, high share), "cash cows", "question marks", and "dogs" — a taxonomy that has become embedded in corporate strategy despite the simplifications it requires.
- B2
Stellar nucleosynthesis — the production of elements heavier than hydrogen through nuclear fusion inside stars — means that every atom in our bodies was forged in the heart of a long-dead star, a fact that Carl Sagan memorably expressed as "we are stardust".
