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stellate

American  
[stel-it, -eyt] / ˈstɛl ɪt, -eɪt /
Often stellated

adjective

  1. like the form of a conventionalized figure of a star; star-shaped.


stellate British  
/ ˈstɛlɪt, -eɪt /

adjective

  1. resembling a star in shape; radiating from the centre

    a stellate arrangement of petals

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of stellate

First recorded in 1490–1500; from Latin stellātus “starry,” equivalent to stell(a) star + -ātus -ate 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Using single-cell technology, the team discovered that these altered stellate cells also send signals to nearby T cells.

From Science Daily Jun. 25, 2026

Reducing its activity or removing the stellate cells that produce it could help limit nerve invasion and slow the cancer's ability to spread.

From Science Daily Jan. 30, 2026

"If we can develop antibodies or drugs that block these stellate cells, we'll have tools to prevent the tumor from acquiring this invasive capacity so early."

From Science Daily Jan. 30, 2026

When used together, silybin and carvedilol sharply reduced collagen production and stellate cell activation in human and rat cell cultures, as well as in primary hepatic stellate cells.

From Science Daily Jan. 6, 2026

Then, a bell sounds, and acrasin is released by special cells toward which the others converge in stellate ranks, touch, fuse together, and construct the slug, solid as a trout.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

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