Astatically
(A*stat"ic*al*ly) adv. In an astatic manner.
Astaticism
(A*stat"i*cism) n. The state of being astatic.
Astay
(A*stay") adv. (Naut.) An anchor is said to be astay, when, in heaving it, an acute angle is
formed between the cable and the surface of the water.
Asteism
(As"te*ism) n. [Gr. refined and witty talk, fr. of the town, polite, witty, fr. city: cf. F. astéisme.]
(Rhet.) Genteel irony; a polite and ingenious manner of deriding another.
Astel
(As"tel) n. [OE. astelle piece of wood, OF. astele splinter, shaving, F. attelle, astelle: cf. L. astula,
dim. of assis board.] (Mining) An arch, or ceiling, of boards, placed over the men's heads in a mine.
Aster
(As"ter) 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.
2. (Floriculture) A plant of the genus Callistephus. Many varieties (called China asters, German
asters, etc.) are cultivated for their handsome compound flowers.
Asterias
(||As*te"ri*as) n. [NL., fr. Gr. starred, fr. 'asth`r star.] (Zoöl.) A genus of echinoderms.
Formerly the group of this name included nearly all starfishes and ophiurans. Now it is restricted to a
genus including the commonest shore starfishes.
Asteriated
(As*te"ri*a`ted) a. [See Asterias.] Radiated, with diverging rays; as, asteriated sapphire.
Asteridian
(As`ter*id"i*an) a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Asterioidea. — n. A starfish; one of the
Asterioidea.
Asterioidea
(||As*te`ri*oid"e*a ||As`ter*id"e*a) n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. 'asteri`as + -oid. See Asterias.] (Zoöl.)
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.
Asterion
(||As*te"ri*on) n. [Gr. 'aste`rion starry.] (Anat.) The point on the side of the skull where the
lambdoid, parieto-mastoid and occipito-mastoid sutures.
Asteriscus
(||As`ter*is"cus) n. [L., an asterisk. See Asterisk.] (Anat.) The smaller of the two otoliths
found in the inner ear of many fishes.
Asterisk
(As"ter*isk) n. [L. asteriscus, Gr. dim. of 'asth`r star. See Aster.] The figure of a star, thus,
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.
Asterism
(As`ter*ism) n. [Gr. fr. 'asth`r star; cf. F. astérisme.]
1. (Astron.) (a) A constellation. [Obs.] (b) A small cluster of stars.
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.
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.
Astern
(A*stern") 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.
