Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A guiding principle.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The star Polaris, of the second magnitude, situated near the north pole of the heavens.
  • noun Hence, that which serves as a guide or director; a lodestar.
  • noun In biology, a polar star; one of the two stellate figures which may be borne upon the poles of the fusiform nucleus-spindle in the process of karyokinesis.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Polaris, or the north star. See North star, under north.
  • noun A guide or director.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Alternative form of pole star.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the brightest star in Ursa Minor; at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper; the northern axis of the earth points toward it
  • noun the brightest star in Ursa Minor; at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper; the northern axis of the earth points toward it

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The polestar consideration, as Justice Lamar pointed out, is the best interest of thechild.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Sex Discrimination in Child Naming Law 2010

  • If, as this Court has held for generations, the “polestar” consideration in matters dealing with children is the best interest of the child, then I must begin this dissent by asking the question: Was the name change ordered by the chancellor in the best interest of the child, Presley Annsleigh Rice?

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Sex Discrimination in Child Naming Law 2010

  • Hinduism, Taoism, Chinese popular religion, Siberian shamanism, and other spiritual traditions speak of a polestar.

    The 7 Glenn Beck 2011

  • We were girls who also unconsciously set our gauge of a man's character to that impossibly perfect polestar, Atticus Finch.

    Stories of Fathers and Daughters Alexandra Styron 2011

  • That Reagan has in recent years become the undisputed polestar of the American Right is itself curious.

    Daniel Cluchey: Searching for Ronald Reagan Daniel Cluchey 2011

  • In ancient Vedic wisdom, the polestar is literally Dhruva—a prince who, at age seven, sought out God.

    The 7 Glenn Beck 2011

  • In ancient Vedic wisdom, the polestar is literally Dhruva—a prince who, at age seven, sought out God.

    The 7 Glenn Beck 2011

  • True though it is that Roy Cohn was an unsavory piece of work, what do we learn about him from being told by Louis that he is "a polestar of human evil … the worst human being who ever lived"?

    Seven Ways of Looking at 'Angels' Terry Teachout 2010

  • Hinduism, Taoism, Chinese popular religion, Siberian shamanism, and other spiritual traditions speak of a polestar.

    The 7 Glenn Beck 2011

  • That Reagan has in recent years become the undisputed polestar of the American Right is itself curious.

    Daniel Cluchey: Searching for Ronald Reagan Daniel Cluchey 2011

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