lodestar

Dictionary: lode·star load·star (lōd'stär') pronunciation

also n.

A star, especially Polaris, that is used as a point of reference.
A guiding principle, interest, or ambition.

[Middle English lodesterre : lode, way; see lode + sterre, star; see star.]

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Obscure Words: lodestar

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1) the pole-star
2) one that serves as an inspiration, model or guide

WordNet: lodestar

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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: guiding star; a star that is used as a reference point in navigation of astronomy
Synonym: loadstar

Meaning #2: something that serves as a model or guide
Synonym: loadstar

Wikipedia: Lodestar

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This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (August 2007)

For other uses, see Lodestar (disambiguation).

A lodestar is a relatively bright, easily found star that is used to find direction, particularly with reference to Polaris, which during the 20th and 21st centuries indicates the direction to the north within a fraction of a degree. (Due to the slow precession of the Earth's axis, this is not a permanent relationship).

The component lode is etymologically related to the verb to lead – lodestars serve as a guide to navigators, as do lodestones, naturally magnetic stones historically used in compasses. The lodestar Polaris in particular is an essential element of the definition of the Cardinal directions used in modern cartography and compasses.

Lodestones can be used to approximately find the northern direction, and are particularly convenient when the stars are not visible. Due to uneven magnetic deviation a lodestone can be significantly less accurate than a lodestar.

In a figurative sense, "lodestar" can mean anything that acts as a guide, inspiration, or example to follow.

The lodestar is present on many of those flags of African nations that use the Pan-African colors. In this context, it represents the ideal of (African) freedom.^{[citation needed]}

		Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		Obscure Words. © 2008 by Michael A. Fischer http://home.comcast.net/~wwftd. Read more
		WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more
		Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lodestar". Read more
		Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more

	Glenn Gibson (Rock Artist)
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lodestar

See also