When most people think about the word “star,” they think of a luminous body that is visible in the sky, especially at night.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary has definitions for “star” as a noun, verb, or adjective.  There is, however, another important definition for “star” that is missing from this dictionary and from all other online and printed dictionaries: a shape-shifter being who can assume the form of a human.

Star references and star symbols are pervasive in our society, and indeed, in our civilization.

Flags of Australia, New Zealand, the United States, China, Israel, North Korea, the former Soviet Union, Chile, Cuba, Ghana, Honduras, Pakistan, Panama, Morocco, Vietnam, and many other countries have stars in them.

The State of Texas has a lone star in its flag; Texas is known as the Lone-Star State.

The flag of the U.S. Naval Academy features an “N” with a star above it.  Recruiting advertisements for the U.S. Army often display a large star.

The Kremlin in Moscow has stars above some of its buildings.

Beers such as Heineken and Sapporo have prominent star symbols.  Sanpellegrino Italian sparkling drinks have red star symbols. Keurig coffee machines have stars on them.  Starbucks is a well-known American multinational coffeehouse chain.

Macy’s department stores and macys.com have prominent red stars.

Starlink is a constellation of satellites that provides broadband Internet service.

OnStar and Subaru Starlink provide roadside assistance to car owners, among other features.

The Star Alliance is the world’s largest airline alliance, with 26 member airlines.

Ratings on Amazon.com, Expedia.com, and many other websites are given with 1 to 5 stars.  Hotels and restaurants often have star ratings.

Paramount Pictures features stars in its logo.

Star symbols are used on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

There is a TV network called Starz.

There have also been TV shows such as “The Superstars,” “Battle of the Network Stars,” “Battle of the Network Reality Stars,” “Circus of the Stars,” “Dancing with the Stars” and “Star Search.”  “Star Trek” is a famous television series and set of movies.

There is a magazine named Star that features news about celebrities.

“Star Wars” and “A Star Is Born” are famous movies.  “A Star Is Born” was remade three times.

“Jesus Christ, Superstar” was a well-known rock opera on Broadway and in London, as well as an album and a film.

Stars and related themes are also featured in music, such as in Madonna’s song “Lucky Star” or in “Starman” by David Bowie, or in “The Stars Look Down” by Rush.  Earth, Wind & Fire, Joss Stone, and Beck have songs titled “Star.”  “Stardust,” a famous jazz song written in 1927 by Hoagy Carmichael, has been recorded over 1,500 times by different artists, either as an instrumental or vocal track.

In the world of music, there are rock stars and country music stars, among other types of musicians.

Top athletes compete in all-star games in football, basketball, baseball, and hockey.

Stars are in the names of sports teams such as the Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Stars.  Star symbols are prominently featured on the helmets of the Dallas Cowboys football team.

In summary, star references and symbols are common in societies around the world.

Where have you seen the word “star” or a star symbol?