[count] 1 : any one of the objects in space that are made of burning gas and that look like points of light in the night sky
▪ They gazed up at the stars. ▪ There are billions of stars in the universe. ▪ bright star clusters ▪ a distant star system ▪ The stars are out [=are not hidden by clouds] tonight. ▪ I'm glad we didn't use the tent. It's so much nicer to sleep outside under the stars. — see also evening star, morning star, north star, pole star, shooting star 2 : a star or planet especially in a certain position that is believed in astrology to influence people's lives
▪ I was born under a lucky star. [=I was born lucky] — usually plural ▪ (Brit) Did you read your stars [=horoscope] today? ▪ I guess romance just isn't in the stars for me right now. [=romance isn't going to happen for me right now] ▪ You can thank your lucky stars [=you are lucky] that no one was hurt. — see also star-crossed 3 a : something (such as a symbol or medal) with five or more points that represents or suggests a star
▪ The teacher gives out gold stars [=gold stickers in the shape of stars] for good behavior. ▪ I put stars [=asterisks] next to the most important items in the list. — see also bronze star, silver star, stars and stripes
b : a symbol that is shaped like a star and that is used as part of a rating system to show how good something is
▪ The restaurant was awarded four stars for excellence. ▪ Critics give the movie three stars. — see also five-star, four-star 4 a : the most important and well-known performer in a movie, play, etc.
▪ She's the star of the show.
b : an extremely famous and successful performer or athlete
▪ His performance in that film made him a star. ▪ She always dreamed of being a movie star. ▪ baseball/football/track stars ▪ a rock/pop star ▪ He's made a name for himself as the hair stylist to the stars. [=for famous people] — often used before another noun ▪ star athletes ▪ the star system [=the practice of using famous actors in movies, etc., in order to attract a bigger audience] ▪ The producers are looking for someone with star quality. [=the talent, looks, etc., needed to become a star]
c : a person who is very successful, important, etc.
▪ There were many talented students in the class, but she was clearly the star. [=the most talented one] ▪ He is a rising star [=a person who is becoming more popular and successful] in the world of politics. — often used before another noun ▪ a star student ▪ our star trumpeter ▪ She was the star witness at the trial. ▪ The pandas are the zoo's star attraction. [=they are the most popular attraction at the zoo] — see also megastar, superstar 5 Brit, informal : someone who is good or helpful
▪ “Thank you. You're a star!”