Vesta

[ves-tuh]

noun

the ancient Roman goddess of the hearth, worshiped in a temple containing an altar on which a sacred fire was kept burning by the vestal virgins: identified with the Greek Hestia.

Astronomy. the third largest and one of the four brightest asteroids.

(lowercase) British. a short friction match with a wood or wax shank.

a female given name.

Origin of Vesta

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for vesta

Congreve, fusee, locofoco, Vesta, vesuvian, Hestia

Examples from the Web for vesta

Contemporary Examples of vesta

On the planet Vesta, there are plenty of crystals to treasure.
Space Bling: From Diamond Planets to Crystal Oceans to Precious Moon Jewels
Alexa Valiente, Jaewon Kang
October 13, 2012

Historical Examples of vesta

The Vesta separators, or "mats," are treated by a special process.
The Automobile Storage Battery
O. A. Witte
Vesta'd give you a job in a minute, and she'd pay you good money, too.
The Duke Of Chimney Butte
G. W. Ogden
Vesta Philbrook was trying to help the old negro to his feet.
The Duke Of Chimney Butte
G. W. Ogden
The shooting had ceased when he came into the clear and pulled up to look for Vesta.
The Duke Of Chimney Butte
G. W. Ogden
Vesta had not only overtaken her enemy, but had ridden round her and cut off her retreat.
The Duke Of Chimney Butte
G. W. Ogden

British Dictionary definitions for vesta

vesta

noun

a short friction match, usually of wood

Word Origin for vesta

C19: named after the goddess; see Vesta 1

Vesta

noun

the Roman goddess of the hearth and its fire. In her temple a perpetual flame was tended by the vestal virginsGreek counterpart: Hestia

Vesta

noun

the brightest of the four largest asteroids. Diameter: about 530 km (240 miles)

Word Origin for Vesta

C19: named after the goddess; see Vesta 1

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

vesta in Science

Vesta

[vĕs′tə]

The brightest of all the asteroids and the fourth to be discovered, in 1807. It is the third largest, with a diameter of about 530 km (329 mi), and the only asteroid that can be seen without a telescope. Evidence of lava flows on its surface suggests that it once had a molten interior. See more at asteroid.

vesta in Culture

Vesta

[Greek name Hestia]

The Roman and Greek goddess of the hearth and home. Roman and Greek cities were supposed to have a public hearth dedicated to Vesta, at which the fire was kept constantly burning.