Meaning & use
aster
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A garden plant with many narrow petals around a yellow center, blooming in late summer and fall.
Grammar: Countable: one aster, two asters; also used as a mass noun for the group.
Patterns
- plant asters
- grow asters
- a bed of asters
She planted purple asters along the fence to add color in autumn.
The asters in the garden attract bees and butterflies.
Asters are hardy perennials that return year after year.
Word forms
| plural | asters |
|---|
Common combinations
- aster flower
- The aster flower has a yellow center and many thin petals.
- wild aster
- Wild asters grow along the roadside in late summer.
- China aster
- The China aster is an annual often grown for cut flowers.
- New England aster
- New England asters are tall plants with purple blooms.
Synonyms and how they differ
- daisy
- Daisy is a more general name for similar flowers with a yellow center and white petals; aster is used for the specific genus with pointed petals and autumn bloom.
- Michaelmas daisy
- A common British name for certain asters that flower around Michaelmas (late September); it is not used for all asters.
Word family
- aster noun
- The plant itself.
Commonly confused: aster or astro-?
aster vs astro-
Astro- is a prefix meaning 'star' or 'space,' as in astronomy; aster is the flower.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'aster' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Aster is a type of flower, so sentence 0 is correct. The others use it as a tool, food, or jewelry, which are not meanings of aster.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “aster”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.