[STAR sb.1]

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  1.  A name for the pentagonal or star-shaped vertebral joints of pentacrinites.

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1658.  Ray, Itin., Sel. Rem. (1760), 107. Hereabout [Shuckborough, Warw.] are found Star-Stones.

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1666.  Merrett, Pinax, 211. Astroites, the Star-stone.

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1673.  Ray, Journ. Low C., 116. Those they call Star-Stones (because they run out into five Angles like so many Rays as they use to picture Stars with).

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1748.  J. Hill, Hist. Fossils, 653. Nearly allied to the Entrochi and Volvulæ, are the Asteriæ or Star-stones, well known in most of the Northern counties of England.

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1836.  Buckland, Geol. & Min. (1837), I. 435. All the joints of the [vertebral] column [of Pentacrinites], when seen transversely, present various modifications of pentagonal star-like forms; hence their name of Asteriæ, or star-stones.

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1908.  [Miss E. Fowler], Betw. Trent & Ancholme, 36. We used to gather ‘star stones,’ pentacrinites.

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  † 2.  A fossil coral studded with star-like forms. (Cf. STARRY a. 5.)

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1668.  Charleton, Onomast., 262. Astroites, Lapis Stellaris, Germanis Sternenstein; the Star-stone (quia stellulis undiquaque insignitus nigricantibus).

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1748.  J. Hill, Hist. Fossils, 641. The Astroites or Star-Stone is ally’d also to these [corals].

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1755.  J. Ellis, Corallines, 102. The Polypes inhabiting the Corallines, Corals, Star-Stones,… and the like.

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  3.  A precious stone that exhibits asterism; a star-sapphire or star-ruby.

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1798.  Phil. Trans., LXXXVIII. 448. When the reflection is compounded of rays which intersect each other, and appear to diverge from a common centre, I call them star-stones, as red, blue, or greyish star-stones, or star-sapphires. Ibid. (1802), XCII. 273. That beautiful reflection of light, in the form of a star with six rays, which is frequently given, by cutting, to oriental rubies, sapphires, &c. and which causes those stones to be then called by the name of star-stones.

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1879.  Cassell’s Techn. Educ., II. 123/2. Star-stones…. These gems are essentially crystallised alumina, and are known as star or asterias rubies or sapphires, according to their colour.

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