flower genus, 1706, from Latin aster "star," from Greek aster (from PIE root *ster- (2) "star"); so called for the radiate heads of the flowers. Originally used in English in the Latin sense (c. 1600) but this is obsolete.

word-forming element expressing incomplete resemblance (such as poetaster), usually diminutive and deprecatory, from Latin -aster, from a suffix forming nouns from verbs ending in Greek -azein; in later Latin generalized as a pejorative suffix, as in patraster "he who plays the father."

1914 in the entertainment sense; earlier the phrase was used literally, of novae. As a verb, by 1942.

"pretender to philosophical knowledge," 1610s, from philosophy + -aster.

"mediocre musician," 1838, from music + -aster.

also star-fish, 1530s, from star (n.) + fish (n.). Greek astēr also was "a starfish."

"a quack, a pretender to medical knowledge or skill," c. 1600, from Latin *medicaster (source also of Italian medicastro, French médicastre, 16c.), from medicus "physician" (from PIE root *med- "take appropriate measures") + -aster. The feminine form is medicastra.

element active in English word formation from mid-18c. and meaning "star or celestial body; outer space," from Greek astro-, stem and combining form of astron "star," which is related to aster "star," from PIE root *ster- (2) "star." In ancient Greek, aster typically was "a star" and astron mostly in plural, "the stars." In singular it mostly meant "Sirius" (the brightest star).

genus of herbs of the aster family, 1767, from Modern Latin (Linnæus, 1763), named for German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn (1729-1759) + abstract noun ending -ia.

"petty or contemptible historian," 1887, from historian with ending altered to -aster. Coined by W.E. Gladstone, in a review of J. Dunbar Ingram's "History of the Legislative Union of Great Britain and Ireland."