Astrophel

/ˈæstroʊfəl/ noun

Definition

A star-lover; a person who loves or studies stars, especially in poetic or literary contexts.

Etymology

From Greek 'astro-' (star) and 'phelos' (lover of), this word was popularized by Sir Philip Sidney's sonnet sequence 'Astrophil and Stella' in the 1580s, where it represented idealized love.

Kelly Says

Sidney's 'Astrophil' is actually a pun—the name means 'star-lover' in Greek, but the character is chasing a woman named Stella, which means 'star' in Latin, so he's literally a lover of stars!

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