[a-stahr-tee] 
| 1. | an ancient Semitic deity, goddess of fertility and reproduction worshiped by the Phoenicians and Canaanites. |
| 2. | (lowercase ) Also called chestnut clam. any of several marine bivalve mollusks of the genus Astarte, having a somewhat triangular, chestnut-brown shell. |
| As·tar·te (ə-stär'tē) n. Mythology An ancient Semitic goddess of love and war, being the Phoenician, Syrian, and Canaanite counterpart to Ishtar. In the Bible, her name sometimes appears in the plural, perhaps referring to a group of goddesses. Also called Ashtoreth. [Greek Astartē, of Phoenician origin; see ʕṯtr in Semitic roots.] |