Aster

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Aster \As"ter\ ([a^]s"t[~e]r), n. [L. aster aster, star, Gr.
     'asth`r star. See {Star}.]
     1. (Bot.) A genus of herbs with compound white or bluish
        flowers; starwort; Michaelmas daisy.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. (Floriculture) A plant of the genus {Callistephus}. Many
        varieties (called {China asters}, {German asters}, etc.)
        are cultivated for their handsome compound flowers.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Biol.) A star-shaped figure of achromatic substance found
        chiefly in cells dividing by mitosis.
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  aster
       n 1: any of various chiefly fall-blooming herbs of the genus
            Aster with showy daisylike flowers
       2: star-shaped structure formed in the cytoplasm of a cell
          having fibers like rays that surround the centrosome
          during mitosis