English Explanatory Dictionary

morning star

English dictionary entry

Meanings

name
  1. The planet Venus as observed in the eastern sky around dawn.
  2. The planet Mercury as observed in the eastern sky around dawn.
noun
  1. A weapon consisting of a heavy ball set with spikes attached rigidly to a staff, in contrast to a flail.
  2. Sleep or rheum, particularly that which is discharged at the eyes during sleep.
name
  1. Alternative letter-case form of morning star (“Venus, as seen in the eastern sky around dawn”).
  2. Synonym of Mary, mother of Jesus, especially in Catholic contexts.
  3. Synonym of Jesus.
  4. The title of any of several newspapers.

Pronunciation

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-morning star.wav

Word forms

morning star the morning star morningstar morning stars

Etymology

From morning + star. Compare Middle English morwensterre, West Frisian moarnsstjer, Dutch morgenster, German Morgenstern, Swedish morgonstjärna, Icelandic morgunstjarna. Application to Satan derives, like the corresponding sense of Lucifer (which see), from what is probably a misinterpretation of Isaiah 14:12 (NIV: "How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!").

Synonyms

Phosphor Phosphorus Eosphorus Lucifer evening star Hesperus Apollo Hermes holy-water sprinkle holy water sprinkler morgenstern morning glory Mary mother of Jesus Jesus

Related words

throwing star
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