lodestar
or load·star
[ lohd-stahr ]
/ ˈloʊdˌstɑr /
noun
a star that shows the way.
something that serves as a guide or on which the attention is fixed.
Nearby words
locutorium, locutory, lod, lode, loden, lodestar, lodestone, lodge, lodge, henry cabot, lodge, sir oliver joseph, lodge, thomas
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for lodestar
British Dictionary definitions for lodestar
lodestar
loadstar
/ (ˈləʊdˌstɑː) /
noun
a star, esp the North Star, used in navigation or astronomy as a point of reference
something that serves as a guide or model
Word Origin for lodestar
C14: literally, guiding star. See lode
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for lodestar
lodestar
late 14c. (late 13c. as a surname), an old name for the pole star (cf. Old Norse leiðarstjarna) as the star that "leads the way" in navigation; from lode (n.) + star (n.). Figurative use from late 14c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Science definitions for lodestar
lodestar
A star, especially Polaris, that is used as a point of reference.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.