ASTERISM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does asterism mean? 

• ASTERISM (noun)
  The noun ASTERISM has 2 senses:

1. (mineralogy) a star-shaped figure with six rays that is seen in some crystal structures under reflected or transmitted light

2. (astronomy) a cluster of stars (or a small constellation)

  Familiarity information: ASTERISM used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ASTERISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(mineralogy) a star-shaped figure with six rays that is seen in some crystal structures under reflected or transmitted light

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Hypernyms ("asterism" is a kind of...):

star (a plane figure with 5 or more points; often used as an emblem)

Domain category:

mineralogy (the branch of geology that studies minerals: their structure and properties and the ways of distinguishing them)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(astronomy) a cluster of stars (or a small constellation)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("asterism" is a kind of...):

natural object (an object occurring naturally; not made by man)

Domain category:

astronomy; uranology (the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole)

Instance hyponyms:

Big Dipper; Charles's Wain; Dipper; Plough; Wagon; Wain (a group of seven bright stars in the constellation Ursa Major)

Dipper; Little Dipper (a cluster of seven stars in Ursa Minor; at the end of the dipper's handle is Polaris)

Holonyms ("asterism" is a member of...):

constellation (a configuration of stars as seen from the earth)

Derivation:

asterismal (relating to asterisms or constellations)