Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

stella, ae, f. [for sterula; cf. Sanscr. staras; cf. Gr. ἀστήρ; Germ. Stern; Engl. star; perh. root ster- of sterno; Gr. στορέννυμι].

  1. I. Lit., a star (whereas sidus denotes a group of stars, a constellation; v. sidus; cf. also astrum): ignes, quae sidera et stellas vocatis, Cic. Rep. 6, 15, 15: sunt stellae naturā flammeae, id. N. D. 2, 46, 118: o magna templa caelitum commixta stellis splendidis Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 6 Müll. (Trag. v. 227 Vahl.); cf.: caelum stellis fulgentibus aptum, id. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 30 Vahl.); Lucr. 6, 357: stellae in radiis solis (non cernuntur), Cic. Fin. 5, 24, 71: maxime sunt admirabiles motus earum quinque stellarum, quae falso vocantur errantes, i. e. planets, id. N. D. 2, 20, 51; so, errantes, id. Rep. 1, 14, 22; id. Tusc. 1, 25, 62; id. N. D. 1, 13, 34 (but cf. inerrantes, fixed stars, id. ib. 3, 20, 51): stella comans, i. e. a comet, Ov. M. 15, 749; cf. id. ib. 15, 850: dum caelum stellas vehat, Tib. 1, 4, 66: simul alba nautis Stella refulsit, Hor. C. 1, 12, 28: jam stellarum sublime coëgerat agmen Lucifer, Ov. M. 11, 97: usque ad diurnam stellam, Lucifer, i. e. till daybreak, Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 64.
    Prov., of an impossibility: Terra feret stellas, Ov. Tr. 1, 8, 3.
    Poet., sometimes for sidus, a constellation: Saturni, Verg. G. 1, 336: Coronae, id. ib. 1, 222: vesani Leonis, Hor. C. 3, 29, 19: Icarii stella proterva canis, Ov. Am. 2, 16, 4: stella miluus, id. F. 3, 793; 5, 112.
    Of the sun: stella serena, Ov. F. 6, 718.
    1. B. Esp., a meteor, shooting-star: saepe stellas videbis Praecipites caelo labi, Verg. G. 1, 365: de caelo lapsa per umbras Stella, id. A. 2, 694; Lucr. 2, 208: discursus stellarum, Plin. 2, 36, 36, § 100; cf.: discurrere eae (stellae) videntur, id. 18, 35, 80, § 351: videmus ergo stellarum longos a tergo albescere tractus. Hae velut stellae exsiliunt, etc., Sen. Q. N. 1, 14, 2 sq.
  2. II. Transf., of things resembling a star.
    1. A. A figure of a star: vitis in stellam dividatur … refert jugum in stellam decussari, etc., Col. 4, 17, 4 sq.; 4, 26, 3; cf. id. 3, 13, 13: Plin. 18, 10, 23, § 97: chlamys distincta aureis stellis, Suet. Ner. 25.
    2. B. A bright point on a precious stone, Plin. 37, 7, 25, § 96; 37, 9, 51, § 134; 37, 10, 67, § 182.
    3. C. A starfish, Plin. 9, 60, 86, § 183; 32, 11, 53, § 151: marina, Veg. Vet. 4 (6), 12, 3.
    4. D. A glowworm, Plin. 18, 27, 67, § 251.
    5. * E. The pupil of the eye, Claud. Idyll. 1, 36.

stello, no perf., ātum, 1, v. n. and a. [stella].

  1. I. Neutr., to be set or covered with stars. So only in the part. pres. stellans, antis, bestarred, starry (poet.): caelo stellante, Lucr. 4, 212; so, caelum, Verg. A. 7, 210: tecta summi patris, Val. Fl. 5, 623: Olympus, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 12, 19: nox, id. ib. 1, 11, 18: ora Tauri, Ov. F. 5, 603.
    1. B. Transf.: gemmis caudam (pavonis) stellantibus implet, glittering, shining, Ov. M. 1, 723: tegmina (i. e. vestes), gleaming, Val. Fl. 3, 98: lumina (i. e. oculi), id. ib. 2, 499: volatus (cicindelarum), Plin. 18, 26, 66, § 250: frons, covered as it were with stars, Mart. 2, 29, 9: universa armis stellantibus coruscabant, Amm. 19, 1, 2.
  2. II. Act., to set or cover with stars; in the verb. finit. only post-Aug. and very rare (cf. part. infra): quis caelum stellet fomes, Mart. Cap. poët. 2, § 118 (al. qui caelum stellet formis, Gron. p. 29): (gemmae) stellarum Hyadum et numero et dispositione stellantur, are set with stars, Plin. 37, 7, 28, § 100.
    Trop.: ipsa vero pars materiae digna laudari quanto verborum stellatur auro, Symm. Ep. 3, 11.
    Part. and P. a.: stellātus, a, um, set with stars, starry, stellate, starred (class.): stellatus Cepheus, i. e. placed in the heavens as a constellation, * Cic. Tusc. 5, 3, 8: aether, Val. Fl. 2, 42: domus (deorum), Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 8; cf. id. Cons. Hon. 4, 209.
    1. B. Transf.: stellatus Argus, i. e. many-eyed, Ov. M. 1, 664; Stat. Th. 6, 277: jaspide fulvā Ensis, sparkling, glittering, Verg. A. 4, 261: variis stellatus corpora guttis, thickly set, Ov. M. 5, 461: gemma auratis guttis, Plin. 37, 10, 66, § 179: animal stellatum, id. 10, 67, 86, § 188: vela, id. 19, 1, 6, § 24: stellatis axibus agger, star-shaped, Sil. 13, 109; Luc. 3, 455.