stellate

American  

[stel-it, -ayt] / ˈstɛl ɪt, -eɪt /

Often stellated

adjective

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

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stellate British  

/ ˈstɛlɪt, -eɪt /

adjective

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

   a stellate arrangement of petals

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Other Word Forms

• stellately
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of stellate

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stellate

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

One of the study's most important findings involved pancreatic and stellate cells that produce large amounts of periostin.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 30, 2026

In human LX-2 and rat HSC-T6 stellate cells stimulated with TGFβ1, silybin only slightly lowered key fibrosis-related markers such as COL1A1, COL1A2, ACTA2, and TGFB.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 6, 2026

In its first iteration, Maris’ stellate insignia consisted of silver plastic stars from Party City, placed like tears to match the somber music she made at the time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2025

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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