Wiktionary

morning star

See also: morningstar and Morning Star

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From morning +‎ star. Compare West Frisian moarnstjer, Dutch morgenster, German Morgenstern, Swedish morgonstjärna, Icelandic morgunstjarna. Application to Satan derives, like the corresponding sense of Lucifer (which see), from what is probably a misinterpretation of Isaiah 14:12 (NIV: "How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!").

Pronunciation

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Proper noun

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the morning star

  1. (astronomy) The planet Venus as observed in the eastern sky around dawn.
    Synonyms: Phosphor, Phosphorus, Eosphorus, Lucifer
    Antonyms: evening star, Hesperus
    The evening star is the morning star. (Hesperus is Phosphorus.)
    • 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Part III”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 47:
      Morn in the white wake of the morning star / Came furrowing all the orient into gold.
    • 1979, Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher, “The Rainbow Connection”, The Muppet Movie, Henson Associates and ITC Entertainment
      Who said that every wish would be heard and answered / When wished on the morning star? / Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it / And look what it's done so far.
  2. (less commonly) The planet Mercury as observed in the eastern sky around dawn.
    Synonym: Apollo
    Antonyms: evening star, Hermes

Translations

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Noun

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morning star (countable and uncountable, plural morning stars)

  1. (countable, weaponry) A weapon consisting of a heavy ball set with spikes attached rigidly to a staff, in contrast to a flail.
    Synonyms: holy-water sprinkle, holy water sprinkler, morgenstern
    Coordinate terms: club, mace, truncheon
    • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, […], London: […] S. Hooper, […], →OCLC, page 55:
      Contrivances like these, except that the balls were armed with spikes, were long carried by the pioneers of the trained bands, or city militia, they are generally called morning stars.
  2. (uncountable, Hong Kong, Philippines, uncommon) Sleep or rheum, particularly that which is discharged at the eyes during sleep.
    Synonym: (Philippines) morning glory
    • 2019, PlaysPH, "What is the official name of the crusty stuff we develop around our eyes during sleep? And what causes it?", Quora
      We call it “morning star”. Funny name though. The real name is “eye crusts”.

Translations

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See also

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Further reading

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