different between asterism vs taxonomy

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ?????????? (asterismós, “group of stars”), from ????? (ast?r, “star”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?ast???z?m/

Noun

asterism (plural asterisms)

1. (astronomy) An unofficial constellation (small group of stars that forms a visible pattern).

   The Big Dipper, Summer Triangle, and Orion's Belt are asterisms.

   • 1825, Geo G. Carey, Astronomy, as it is known at the present day, London, p. 66 f.:

     Of the constellations, or asterisms. [...] It therefore became necessary to adopt a more general method of distinguishing them. This was accomplished by portioning out the heavens into imaginary figures, of men, birds, fishes, &c. called Constellations or Asterisms.
2. A rarely used typographical symbol (?, three asterisks arranged in a triangle), used to call attention to a passage or to separate subchapters in a book.
3. (mineralogy) A star-shaped figure exhibited by some crystals by reflected light (as in a star sapphire) or by transmitted light (as in some mica).

Related terms

• aster
• asterisk
• asteroid

Translations

See also

• syzygy

Anagrams

• Reitsmas, Ritsemas, St. Maries, maisters, maistres, misrates, semistar, smarties

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French taxonomie. Surface analysis taxo- +? -nomy.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /tæk?s?n?mi/
• (US) IPA^(key): /tæk?s??n?mi/
• Rhymes: -?n?mi

Noun

taxonomy (countable and uncountable, plural taxonomies)

1. The science or the technique used to make a classification.
2. A classification; especially, a classification in a hierarchical system.
3. (taxonomy, uncountable) The science of finding, describing, classifying and naming organisms.

Synonyms

• taxonomics
• (science of finding, describing, classifying and naming organisms): alpha taxonomy

Coordinate terms

• nomenclature
• ontology

Derived terms

Translations