[as-ter] 
| 1. | any composite plant of the genus Aster, having rays varying from white or pink to blue around a yellow disk. |
| 2. | a plant of some allied genus, as the China aster. |
| 3. | Cell Biology. a structure formed in a cell during mitosis, composed of astral rays radiating about the centrosome. |
| 4. | Furniture. sunflower (def. 2). |
| a diminutive or pejorative suffix denoting something that imperfectly resembles or mimics the true thing: criticaster; poetaster, oleaster. |
[suhn-flou-er] | 1. | any of various composite plants of the genus Helianthus, as H. annuus, having showy, yellow-rayed flower heads often 12 in. (30 cm) wide, and edible seeds that yield an oil with a wide variety of uses: the state flower of Kansas. |
| 2. | Also called aster. Furniture. a conventionalized flower motif carved in the center panels of a Connecticut chest. |
| as·ter (ās'tər) n.
[Latin astēr, a type of plant, from Greek, star, type of daisy; see ster-3 in Indo-European roots.] |
aster as·ter (ās'tər)
n.
See astrosphere.
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