[ad. L. astroītes (Pliny), f. Gr. ἀστρο- star: see -ITE.] lit. A ‘star-stone.’

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  1.  A gem known to the ancients, apparently the same as the ASTRION.

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1601.  Holland, Pliny, XXXVII. ix. (R.). As touching astroites, manie make great account of it.

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1617.  Minsheu, Astroite, a precious stone.

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1675.  Ogilby, Brit., 12. Star-like Stones called Astroyts, formerly of great esteem.

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1750.  Leonardus’ Mirr. Stones, 68. Astroites, Astrion, Asterias, or Asterites, is a white Stone approaching to Christal.

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  † 2.  Any star-shaped mineral or fossil, e.g., the joints of pentacrinites. Obs.

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1610.  Holland, Camden’s Brit., I. 536. Stones called Astroites, which resemble little starres joyned with one another.

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1724.  De Foe, etc., Tour Gt. Brit. (ed. 4), II. 326 (D.). Certain stones about the breadth of a silver peny and thickness of an half-crown, called astroites or star-stones, being fine pointed like a star and flat.

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1728.  Lewis, in Phil. Trans., XXXV. 491. Stones resembling Shells of the Escallop and Cockle kind … with some Astroites.

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  3.  Zool. A species of madrepore.

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1708.  in Phil. Trans., XXVI. 77. The Astroite, an Irregular Coralline-stone, naturally Engrav’n with Asterisks.

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1794.  Sullivan, View Nat., II. 175. Those of the coral class as madrepores, millepores, astroites.

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1848.  Dana, Zooph., vii. § 112. 110. The Porites … graduate into the Astræporæ, and thence to the Astroites.

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