polestar

[ pohl-stahr ]
See synonyms for polestar on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. something that serves as a guiding principle.

  1. something that is the center of attention or attraction.

Origin of polestar

1
First recorded in 1545–55; pole2 + star

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use polestar in a sentence

  • In all this, he affirmed, his pole-star had been the happiness of his people, dearer to him than his own glory.

    The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte | William Milligan Sloane
  • In the place of the mariners' compass let us read the "Bible," and, instead of the pole star, let us substitute "science."

  • In the north, round the pole-star are a number of constellations that never set; they wheel unceasingly around the pole.

    The Astronomy of the Bible | E. Walter Maunder
  • In addition to its regular name, α Urs Minoris is frequently called by the special name Polaris, or the pole star.

    A Text-Book of Astronomy | George C. Comstock
  • The 'Pole Star' swung alongside her after the collision, and very soon afterwards sank in an almost parallel position.

    The Invasion | William Le Queux

British Dictionary definitions for pole star (1 of 2)

pole star

noun
  1. a guiding principle, rule, standard, etc

British Dictionary definitions for Pole Star (2 of 2)

Pole Star

noun
  1. the Pole Star the star closest to the N celestial pole at any particular time. At present this is Polaris, but it will eventually be replaced by some other star owing to precession of the earth's axis

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012