aster

1 of 2

noun

as·​ter ˈa-stər 

1

a

: any of various chiefly fall-blooming leafy-stemmed composite herbs (Aster and closely related genera) with often showy heads containing disk flowers or both disk and ray flowers

b

: china aster

2

: a system of microtubules arranged radially about a centriole at either end of the mitotic or meiotic spindle

Illustration of aster

• aster 1a

-aster

2 of 2

noun suffix

: one that is inferior or not genuine

criticaster

Examples of aster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Pass Mountain Trail seems to be the star this year with a range of blooms that include poppies, lupines, brittles, fiddleneck, cinchweed, chuparosa and asters. —Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 21 Feb. 2026

The over 100 native aster species in North America come in a kaleidoscope of colors and can tolerate a variety of conditions. —Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026

Sweet alyssum, yarrow, cosmos, nepeta, asters, coreopsis and many other plants with small, clustered centers attract pollinators and beneficial insects, including lady beetles, lacewings, syrphid flies and parasitic wasps. —Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026

Botanical Name: Eurybia divaricata Sun Exposure: Partial to full shade Soil Type: Average, dry to medium, well-draining Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline (5.5-8.0) USDA Plant Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8 Few plants bloom as profusely in the shade as white wood aster. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

(sense 1) borrowed from New Latin, genus name, going back to Latin aster-, astēr "a plant, probably Aster amellus," borrowed from Greek aster-, astḗr "star, the plant Aster amellus"; (sense 2) borrowed from Greek aster-, astḗr "star" — more at star entry 1

Noun suffix

Middle English, from Latin, suffix denoting partial resemblance

First Known Use

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing aster

• aster yellows
• China aster

Rhymes for aster

• aster
• blaster
• caster
• castor
• faster
• gaster
• laster
• bandmaster
• broadcaster
• cadastre
• disaster
• forecaster

Kids Definition

aster

noun

as·​ter ˈas-tər 

: any of various mostly fall-blooming leafy-stemmed herbs related to the daisies usually with showy white, pink, purple, or yellow flower heads

Medical Definition

aster

noun

as·​ter ˈas-tər 

: a system of microtubules arranged in rays around a centriole at either end of the mitotic or meiotic spindle

The first stage in the formation of the mitotic spindle in a typical animal cell is the appearance of microtubules in a "sunburst" arrangement, or aster, around each centrosome during early prophase.

—Gerald Karp, Cell and Molecular Biology: Concepts and Experiments, 6th edition

called also cytaster