barnstar

plural barnstars · alternative barn star · alternative barn-star

1. A decorative painted object or image, often in the shape of a five-pointed star but occasionally in a circular wagon-wheel style, used to adorn a barn.
2. A lucky charm resembling a star plate, similar to a horseshoe.
3. An image posted on a wiki user's personal page by another user, as an informal award or form of recognition.

   There are many different Wikipedia barnstars that connote different things.

   2008, Jonathan Zittrain, The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It, →ISBN, Notes: Chapter 6, page 290

   1 more example

   Other Wikipedia editors responded to Mr. [Richard] Knipel’s courageous act by awarding him several “Barnstars,” the site’s official tokens of appreciation. “You’ve got some guts man!” wrote a user who awarded him a Barnstar of Diligence. Mr. Knipel did not respond to a request for comment.

   2025 October 17, Andy Newman, “Wikipedia Volunteers Avert Tragedy by Taking Down Gunman at Conference”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC