| 释义 |
star-stone
[star n.1]
1. A name for the pentagonal or star-shaped vertebral joints of pentacrinites.
1658Ray Itin. Sel. Rem. (1760) 107 Hereabout [Shuckborough, Warw.] are found Star-Stones. 1666Merrett Pinax 211 Astroites, the Star-stone. 1673Ray Journ. Low C. 116 Those they call Star-Stones (because they run out into five Angles like so many Rays as they use to picture Stars with). 1748J. Hill Hist. Fossils 653 Nearly allied to the Entrochi and Volvulæ, are the Asteriæ or Star-stones, well known in most of the Northern counties of England. 1836Buckland Geol. & Min. (1837) I. 435 All the joints of the [vertebral] column [of Pentacrinites], when seen transversely, present various modifications of pentagonal star-like forms; hence their name of Asteriæ, or star-stones. 1908[Miss E. Fowler] Betw. Trent & Ancholme 36 We used to gather ‘star stones’, pentracrinites.
†2. A fossil coral studded with star-like forms. (Cf. starry a. 5.)
1668Charleton Onomast 262 Astroites, Lapis Stellaris, Germanis Sternenstein; the Star-stone (quia stellulis undiquaque insignitus nigricantibus). 1748J. Hill Hist. Fossils 641 The Astroites or Star-Stone is ally'd also to these [corals]. 1755J. Ellis Corallines 102 The Polypes inhabiting the Corallines, Corals, Star-Stones,..and the like.
3. A precious stone which exhibits asterism; a star-sapphire or star-ruby.
1798Phil. Trans. LXXXVIII. 448 When the reflection is compounded of rays which intersect each other, and appear to diverge from a common centre, I call them star-stones, as red, blue, or greyish star-stones, or star-sapphires. 1802Ibid. XCII. 273 That beautiful reflection of light, in the form of a star with six rays, which is frequently given, by cutting, to oriental rubies, sapphires, &c. and which causes those stones to be then called by the name of star-stones. 1879Cassell's Techn. Educ. II. 123/2 Star-stones... These gems are essentially crystallised alumina, and are known as star or asterias rubies or sapphires, according to their colour. |