different between cynosure vs lodestar

English

Etymology

From French cynosure (“Ursa Minor; Polaris”), from Latin Cynos?ra (“Ursa Minor”), from Ancient Greek ????????? (Kunósoura, “Ursa Minor”, literally “dog’s tail”), from ????? (kunós, “dog's”) + ???? (ourá, “tail”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s?n?zj??/, /-sj??/, /-???/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?sa?n????/, /?s?n-/, /-??/

Noun

cynosure (plural cynosures)

1. (usually capitalized) Ursa Minor or Polaris, the North Star, used as a guide by navigators.
2. (figuratively) That which serves to guide or direct; a guiding star.

3. (figuratively) Something that is the center of attention; an object that serves as a focal point of attraction and admiration.

Derived terms

• cynosural

Translations

Further reading

• Cynosure in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

• rounceys

English

Etymology

From Middle English lode (“journey, course”) +? star, where lode is an archaic noun from the verb lithe (“to go, journey”), related to lead. Other Middle English spellings include: 14th century loode sterre, lood-sterre, lade-sterne; and 15th century lode sterre. Cognate with Old Norse leiðarstjarna, Dutch leidster, German Leitstern, Danish ledestjerne, Swedish ledstjärna.

Noun

lodestar (plural lodestars)

1. A star used as a navigation reference, particularly a pole star such as Polaris.
2. (figuratively) A guiding tenet or principle.
3. (law) A calculated amount to award as attorney's fees derived by multiplying the reasonable number of hours spent working on a case by the reasonable hourly billing rate.

Alternative forms

• lode starre (16th century)
• loadstar

Synonyms

• cynosure
• guiding star

Translations

See also

• lodestone

Anagrams

• delators, leotards