Emily Dickinson Lexicon

STARE, v.i. [Sax. starian; Dan. stirrer; Sw. stirra; G. starren; D. staaren. In Sw. stirra ut fingren, is to spread one's fingers. The sense then is to open or extend, and it seems to be closely allied to G. starr, stiff, and to starch, stern, which imply straining, tension.]

1. To gaze; to look with fixed eyes wide open; to fasten an earnest look on some object. Staring is produced by wonder, surprise, stupidity, horror, fright, and sometimes by eagerness to hear or learn something, sometimes by impudence. We say, he stared with astonishment. Look not big, nor stare, nor fret. – Shak.
2. To stand out; to be prominent. Take off all the staring straws and jaggs in the hive. [Not used.] – Mortimer. To stare in the face, to be before the eyes or undeniably evident. The law stares them in the face, while they are breaking it. – Locke.

STAR-EN-CIR'CLED, a.

Encircled with stars.

STAR'ER, n.

One who stares or gazes.

STAR-FISH, n. [star and fish.]

A marine animal; the sea star or Asterias, a genus of pedicellate echinoderms or zoophytes, so named because their body is divided into rays, generally five in number, in the center of which and below is the mouth, which is the only orifice of the alimentary canal. They are covered with a coriaceous skin, armed with points or spines and pierced with numerous small holes, arranged in regular series, through which pass membranaceous tentacula or feelers, terminated each by a little disk or cup, by means of which they execute their progressive motions. – Cuvier.

STAR-FLOW-ER, n.

A plant of the genus Ornithogalum. A plant of the genus Stellaria. – Lee.

STAR-GAZ-ER, n. [star and gazer.]

One who gazes at the stars; a term of contempt for an astrologer, sometimes used ludicrously for an astronomer.

STAR-GAZ-ING, n.

The act or practice of observing the stars with attention; astrology. Swift.

STAR-GRASS, n. [star and grass.]

Starry duck meat, a plant of the genus Callitriche, and one also of the genus Aletris. – Lee.

STAR-HAWK, n.

A species of hawk so called. – Ainsworth.

STAR-HY'A-CINTH, n.

A plant of the genus Scilla.

STAR'ING, ppr.

Gazing; looking with fixed eyes.

STAR'ING-LY, adv.

Gazingly.

STAR-JEL-LY, n.

A plant, the Tremella, one of the Fungi; also, star-shoot, a gelatinous substance which is also a Tremella.

STARK, a. [Sax. sterc, stearc; D. sterk; G. stark, stiff, strong; formed on the root of the G. starr, stiff, rigid, Eng. steer; from straining, stretching. See Starch and Steer.]

1. Stiff; strong; rugged. Many a nobleman lies stark and stiff; / Under the hoofs of vaunting enemies. / The north is not so stark and cold. – B. Jonson.
2. Deep; full; profound; absolute. Consider the stark security / The commonwealth is in now. [Obs.] – B. Jonson.
3. Mere; gross; absolute. He pronounces the citation stark nonsense. – Collier.

STARK, adv.

Wholly; entirely; absolutely; as, stark mad; stark blind; stark naked. These are the principal applications of this word now in use. The word is in popular use, but not an elegant word in any of its applications.

STARK'LY, adv.

Stiffly; strongly. [Obs.] – Shak.

STAR-LED, a.

Guided by the stars.

STAR'LESS, a.

Having no stars visible or no starlight; as, a starless night. – Milton. Dryden.

STAR-LIGHT, a.

Lighted by the stars, or by the stars only; as, a starlight evening. – Dryden.

STAR-LIGHT, n. [star and light.]

The light, proceeding from the stars. Nor walk by moon / Or glittering starlight, without thee is sweet. – Milton.

STAR-LIKE, a. [star and like.]

1. Resembling a star; stellated; radiated like a star; as, starlike flowers. – Mortimer.
2. Bright; illustrious. The having turned many to righteousness shall confer a starlike and immortal brightness. – Boyle.

STAR'LING, n. [Sax. stær; Sw. stare.]

1. A bird, the stare, of the genus Sturnus.
2. A defense to the piers of bridges.

STA'ROST, n.¹

In Poland, a feudatory; one who holds a fief.

STAR'OST, n.²

A Polish title of nobility.

STA'ROS-TY, n.

A fief; an estate held by feudal service.