stella

stella, ae, f. [for sterula; cf. Sanscr. staras; cf. Gr. astêr; Germ. Stern; Engl. star; perh. root ster- of sterno; Gr. storennumi].

I.

Lit., a star (whereas sidus denotes a group of stars, a constellation; v. sidus; cf.

also astrum): ignes, quae sidera et stellas vocatis,

Cic. Rep. 6, 15, 15:

sunt stellae naturā flammeae,

id. N. D. 2, 46, 118: o magna templa caelitum commixta stellis splendidis Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 6 Müll. (Trag. v. 227 Vahl.); cf.: caelum stellis fulgentibus aptum, id. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 30 Vahl.); Lucr. 6, 357:

stellae in radiis solis (non cernuntur),

Cic. Fin. 5, 24, 71:

maxime sunt admirabiles motus earum quinque stellarum, quae falso vocantur errantes,

i. e. planets, id. N. D. 2, 20, 51; so,

errantes,

id. Rep. 1, 14, 22; id. Tusc. 1, 25, 62; id. N. D. 1, 13, 34 (but cf. inerrantes, fixed stars, id. ib. 3, 20, 51):

stella comans,

i. e. a comet, Ov. M. 15, 749; cf. id. ib. 15, 850:

dum caelum stellas vehat,

Tib. 1, 4, 66:

simul alba nautis Stella refulsit,

Hor. C. 1, 12, 28:

jam stellarum sublime coëgerat agmen Lucifer,

Ov. M. 11, 97: usque ad diurnam stellam, Lucifer, i. e. till daybreak, Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 64.—Prov., of an impossibility:

Terra feret stellas,

Ov. Tr. 1, 8, 3.— Poet., sometimes for sidus, a constellation:

Saturni,

Verg. G. 1, 336:

Coronae,

id. ib. 1, 222:

vesani Leonis,

Hor. C. 3, 29, 19:

Icarii stella proterva canis,

Ov. Am. 2, 16, 4:

stella miluus,

id. F. 3, 793; 5, 112.—Of the sun:

stella serena,

Ov. F. 6, 718.—

B.

Esp., a meteor, shooting-star:

saepe stellas videbis Praecipites caelo labi,

Verg. G. 1, 365:

de caelo lapsa per umbras Stella,

id. A. 2, 694; Lucr. 2, 208:

discursus stellarum,

Plin. 2, 36, 36, § 100; cf.:

discurrere eae (stellae) videntur,

id. 18, 35, 80, § 351:

videmus ergo stellarum longos a tergo albescere tractus. Hae velut stellae exsiliunt, etc.,

Sen. Q. N. 1, 14, 2 sq. —

II.

Transf., of things resembling a star.

A.

A figure of a star:

vitis in stellam dividatur... refert jugum in stellam decussari, etc.,

Col. 4, 17, 4 sq.; 4, 26, 3; cf. id. 3, 13, 13: Plin. 18, 10, 23, § 97:

chlamys distincta aureis stellis,

Suet. Ner. 25.—

B.

A bright point on a precious stone, Plin. 37, 7, 25, § 96; 37, 9, 51, § 134; 37, 10, 67, § 182.—

C.

A starfish, Plin. 9, 60, 86, § 183; 32, 11, 53, § 151:

marina,

Veg. Vet. 4 (6), 12, 3.—

D.

A glowworm, Plin. 18, 27, 67, § 251.—

* E.

The pupil of the eye, Claud. Idyll. 1, 36.