starmatter means the material or matter from which stars are made or of which they consist; starstuff. It carries an Arena rating of 1584, earned across 24 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, starmatter ranks #362 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #475 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #3,411 of 42,747 for Qualifying, #4,349 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words.
Why “starmatter” is a great word
The physical substance constituting a star, from its incandescent core to its radiative envelope. From star (celestial body) + matter (physical substance). Unlike “starstuff,” which lends cosmic dust a fanciful, animating glamour, or “plasma,” which names only the ionized state, starmatter is the sober, collective term for that which is forged and fused. It is the primordial hydrogen collapsing under its own weight, the helium ash glowing in the stellar forge, the iron quietly accumulating at a dying sun’s heart—the common, combustible clay of all light, destined ultimately for darkness.
Etymology
From star + matter.
noun
- The material or matter from which stars are made or of which they consist; starstuff.e.g.“I was distracted by a pictorial retelling of the cosmic cycle of birth, as endless starmatter condensed and exploded, while my body was given a thorough purge and overhaul.” — 2005, Jason Louv, Generation Hex:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- starstuff 87% match — The material composition of stars; matter originated from stars; starmatter. vs starmatter →
- stardust 70% match — Small fragments of dustlike material found in space; specifically, a type of cosmic dust that formed from cooling gases ejected from presolar stars, which was then incorporated into the cloud from which the Solar System condensed. vs starmatter →
- starhood 60% match — The state of being a star (whether an astronomic object or a celebrity). vs starmatter →
- starn 57% match — A star. vs starmatter →
- materia 54% match — The physical substances which create the natural world: matter, materials, substance, etc. vs starmatter →
- stardom 54% match — The status or position of a performer acknowledged to be a star; fame; celebrity. vs starmatter →
- protomatter 54% match — The ultimate basis of physical substance, before it has been given form. vs starmatter →
- starfall 53% match — A great number of stars descending downward within outer space or the atmosphere; a meteor shower. vs starmatter →