asterism

noun
/ˈas.təˌɹɪz.əm/UK/ˈæs.təˌrɪz.əm/US

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀστερισμός (asterismós, “a group of stars”), from ἀστήρ (astḗr, “star”). Analyzable as aster- + -ism.

  1. derived from ἀστερισμός — “a group of stars

Definitions

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

    • The Big Dipper, Summer Triangle, and Orion's Belt are asterisms.
    • Like Pisces and Capricorn, Aquarius is located in that part of the sky known as "Astral Sea," a region inhabited by water asterisms such as Eridanus, Cetus (the Whale), and the Dolphin.
  2. A rarely used typographical symbol of three asterisks arranged in a triangle, ⁂, used to…

    A rarely used typographical symbol of three asterisks arranged in a triangle, ⁂, used to call attention to a passage or to separate subchapters in a book. Distinct from a dinkus which also uses asterisks to separate.

  3. A star-shaped figure exhibited by some crystals by reflected light (as in a star…

    A star-shaped figure exhibited by some crystals by reflected light (as in a star sapphire) or by transmitted light (as in some mica).

The neighborhood

Derived

asterismal

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for asterism. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA