starlet

English

Etymology 1

star +‎ -let

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈstɑɹlɪt/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈstɑːlɪt/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)lɪt
• Hyphenation: star‧let

Noun

starlet (plural starlets)

1. A young actress with a promising career ahead of her.
   • 2012, Christoper Zara, Tortured Artists: From Picasso and Monroe to Warhol and Winehouse, the Twisted Secrets of the World's Most Creative Minds, part 1, chapter 1, 25:

     There were other flapper-era starlets, of course—Louise Brooks, Greta Garbo—but they were poseurs by comparison.

2. An accomplished and important supporting player in a sports team.
   • 2017 May 20, Jamie Jackson, “Josh Harrop sets Manchester United on way to win over Crystal Palace”, in the Guardian‎^[1]:

     As Mourinho also entered the press room while most journalists were still watching the players’ lap of honour, nothing could be confirmed about the condition of Pogba, who scored United’s second goal and the Portuguese declined a chance to praise some fine performances from his starlets, with Josh Harrop scoring on his debut.

3. (poetic) A small star.
   • 1854, The Ladies' Companion, page 246:

     It e'en the semblance of sound's softest echo Were to compare the faintest starlet's beam, Struggling through angry clouds its misty Ray, With the all-powerful Sun's meridian ray, Dazzling the gaze of nature — doth pervade The atmosphere, as 'twere a whisper's shadow Or breathing soft disembodied souls;

   • 1859, The Knickerbocker - Volume 54, page 385:

     As I saw the love-light beam From her radiant eyes, more glorious far Than the starlet's nightly gleam :

   • 1874, FRASER'S MAGAZINE. NEW SERIES. VOL.X. JULY TO DECEMBER 1874:

     The shimmering, shivering, trembling, twinkling starlet white, Dancy rays darteth down, showering blossoms of silvern light ;

   • 1922, Social Progress - Volumes 6-7, page 207:

     I have a little golden dream That haunts me night and day, And like a starlet's golden beam Lights up my darksome way.

Derived terms

• starlet sea anemone

Translations

young promising actress

• Bulgarian: обещаваща артистка f (obeštavašta artistka)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 童星 (zh) (tóngxīng)

• Finnish: tähtönen (fi)
• French: starlette (fr) f
• German: Starlet (de) n
• Italian: stellina (it) f, divetta f, starlet (it) f
• Japanese: スターレット (sutāretto)
• Portuguese: estrelinha (pt) f
• Russian: восходя́щая звезда́ f (vosxodjáščaja zvezdá)

Etymology 2

Adjective

starlet (comparative more starlet, superlative most starlet)

1. (rare) Alternative form of starlit
   • 1972, The Pembroke Magazine - Issues 1-4, page 11:

     Through the starlet night, under the moon, they dreamed and loved.

   • 1998, John W. Bailey, The Life and Works of General Charles King, 1844-1933: Martial Spirit:

     King's single file column made good time as they took turns riding their horses in the crisp starlet night and leading their mounts by the reins while they walked over extremely rough terrain.

   • 2010, Richard Serna, The Empress of Darkness, →ISBN:

     The Fortune Teller gazed his wondering green eye in the orb of clouded mist. Over looking their movements from above the starlet night.

Anagrams

• Slatter, Stalter, Statler, rattles, slatter, startle

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English starlet.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈstar.let/
• Rhymes: -arlet
• Hyphenation: stàr‧let

Noun

starlet f (plural starlets)

1. starlet

   Synonyms: stellina, attricetta

Further reading

• starlet in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana