Etymology

instar

in·star
I1N1S1T1A1R1

Today it means: Any one of the several stages of postembryonic development which an arthropod undergoes, between molts, before it reaches sexual maturity. Full definition →

Latin instar
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instar · noun1

  1. Latin · derived frominstar“form, likeness”
  2. English todayinstar

From Latin instar (“form, likeness”), which is of obscure origin.

instar · verb2

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Italic*en
  3. Proto-Italic*en-
  4. Latinin-
  5. Middle Englishin-
  6. Englishin-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eHs-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₂stḗr
  9. Proto-Germanic*sternǭ
  10. Proto-West Germanic*sternō
  11. Proto-West Germanic*sterrō
  12. Old Englishsteorra
  13. Middle Englishsterre
  14. Englishstar
  15. English todayinstar

From in- + star.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.