I. ˈastəˌrisk, ˈaas- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Late Latin astericus, from Greek asteriskos, literally, little star, diminutive of aster-, astēr star
1. : the character * used in printing as the first in series of the reference marks, to indicate the omission of letters or words, in linguistic works to mark hypothetical forms belonging to a reconstructed ancestral language, and in various arbitrary uses — called also star
2. also as·te·ris·kos ˌästəˈrēˌskȯs -es Eastern Church : a star-shaped liturgical utensil used to cover the eucharistic elements lying in a paten and to guard them from contact with the first veil
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to mark with an asterisk : star