asterisk

Meanings

Noun

a star-shaped character * used in printing
A small star; also (by extension), something resembling or shaped like a star.
The star-shaped symbol *, which is used in printing and writing for various purposes, including to refer a reader to a note at the bottom of a page or in a margin, and to indicate the omission of letters or words; a star.
Something resembling or shaped like an asterisk symbol.
A small star; also (by extension), something resembling or shaped like a star.
The star-shaped symbol *, which is used in printing and writing for various purposes, including to refer a reader to a note at the bottom of a page or in a margin, and to indicate the omission of letters or words; a star.
Something which is of little importance or which is marginal; a footnote.
A small star; also (by extension), something resembling or shaped like a star.
The star-shaped symbol *, which is used in printing and writing for various purposes, including to refer a reader to a note at the bottom of a page or in a margin, and to indicate the omission of letters or words; a star.
A blemish in an otherwise outstanding achievement.
A small star; also (by extension), something resembling or shaped like a star.
The star-shaped symbol *, which is used in printing and writing for various purposes, including to refer a reader to a note at the bottom of a page or in a margin, and to indicate the omission of letters or words; a star.
A small star; also (by extension), something resembling or shaped like a star.
An instrument with radiating arms resembling a star which is placed over the diskos (or paten) used during the Eucharist to prevent the veil covering the chalice and diskos from touching the host on the diskos.
A small star; also (by extension), something resembling or shaped like a star.

Verb

mark with an asterisk
To mark or replace (text, etc.) with an asterisk symbol (*; noun sense 1.1); to star.

Origin / Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English asterisk [and other forms], from Late Latin asteriscus (“asterisk; small star”), from Ancient Greek ἀστερῐ́σκος (asterĭ́skos, “asterisk; small star”), from ᾰ̓στήρ (ăstḗr, “celestial body (star, planet, and other lights in the sky such as meteors)”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs- (“to burn; to glow”)) + -ῐ́σκος (-ĭ́skos, diminutive suffix). Piecewise doublet of starrish.
Sense 1.1.2 (“something which is of little importance or which is marginal”) refers to the use of an asterisk to denote a footnote or marginal note in a text; in other words, information that is not important enough to be incorporated into the main text. Sense 1.1.3 (“blemish in an otherwise outstanding achievement”) refers to the use of an asterisk in a sporting record to indicate that the record is qualified in some manner (for example, that the sportsperson was found to have taken performance-enhancing drugs at the time).
The verb is derived from the noun.

Synonyms

star, star-cover

Scrabble Score: 12

asterisk is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
asterisk is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
asterisk is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

asterisk is a valid Words With Friends word