Stellifier

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Something or someone that transforms an object or person into a star or a starlike shape
2. An agent or force that makes a thing take on the appearance or nature of a star
3. A rare term for whatever causes an entity to become stellar or be raised to star-like status

Etymology: A stellifier is a person or thing that stellifies, a term used in some dictionaries for a machine or device that produces a star-shaped pattern, though the word is rare and its usage is limited. It is formed from the Latin "stella", meaning star, combined with the English suffix "-fier", which comes from Latin "-ficare" through Old French and means one who makes or causes something. The pattern is the same as in "terrify" or "purify": a verb of making, turned into an agent noun. Because the word is a transparent compound built from a known root and suffix, its meaning follows directly from its parts. The verb "stellify", from which it derives, carries the sense of turning into or setting among the stars, a usage that dates to the early modern period and is recorded mainly in literary and technical texts.