Meanings
plural wanderstars
- fantasyA wandering star or other similar heavenly body; a comet; meteor; planet.
A thin scythe of moon was rising, near the white wanderstar of dawn or dusk.
2003, Poul Anderson, Mother of Kings2 more examples
He had thumbed about in Chants of a Wander-Star last night in bed and wondered about the career of that marginal versifier — born out of his proper time and now remembered by Ackley in an era even less proper.
1994, Ellen Datlow, Terri Windling, The Year's Best Fantasy and HorrorHe passed gulls, terns, cormorants as if they were standing still. Now and then a wander-star crossed the heavens: one of the metal eyes the ancients hung over Alifros to spy on their enemies.
2009, Robert V. S. Redick, The Red Wolf Conspiracy
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- GermanWandelstern“planet”
- Englishwanderstar
From wander + star, probably a calque of German Wandelstern (“planet”). Compare the historic term wandering star, like the German term ultimately a calque from Ancient Greek.
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
wanderstar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wanderstar
“wanderstar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wanderstar. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wanderstar,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wanderstar.
Source: wanderstar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.