aster

[as-ter] /ˈæs tər/
noun
1.
any composite plant of the genus Aster, having rays varying from white or pink to blue around a yellow disk.
2.
a plant of some allied genus, as the China aster.
3.
Cell Biology. a structure formed in a cell during mitosis, composed of astral rays radiating about the centrosome.
4.
Furniture. sunflower (def 2).
Origin
1595-1605; < Latin < Greek astḗr star

-aster1

1.
a diminutive or pejorative suffix denoting something that imperfectly resembles or mimics the true thing:
criticaster; poetaster, oleaster.
Origin
< Latin

-aster2

1.
Chiefly Biology. a combining form with the meaning “star,” used in the formation of compound words:
diaster.
Origin
< Greek astḗr star; cf. astro-
Examples from the web for aster
  • Kick a pile of fallen leaves beside a path in the park and a wild aster pops up.
British Dictionary definitions for aster

aster

/ˈæstə/
noun
1.
any plant of the genus Aster, having white, blue, purple, or pink daisy-like flowers: family Asteraceae (composites) Compare golden aster
2.
China aster, a related Chinese plant, Callistephus chinensis, widely cultivated for its showy brightly coloured flowers
3.
(cytology) a group of radiating microtubules that surrounds the centrosome before and during mitosis
Word Origin
C18: from New Latin, from Latin aster star, from Greek

-aster

suffix
1.
a person or thing that is inferior or bears only a poor resemblance to what is specified: poetaster
Word Origin
from Latin: suffix indicating imperfect resemblance
Word Origin and History for aster
n.

flower genus, 1706, from Latin aster "star" (see star (n.)); so called for the radiate heads of the flowers. Originally used in English in the Latin sense (c.1600) but this is obsolete.

-aster

word-forming element expressing incomplete resemblance (e.g. poetaster), usually diminutive and deprecatory, from Latin, from Greek -aster, suffix originally forming nouns from verbs ending in -azein, later generalized as a pejorative suffix, e.g. Greek patraster "he who plays the father."

aster in Medicine

aster as·ter (ās'tər)
n.
See astrosphere.