-aster

suffix.
1 forming nouns denoting poor quality (criticaster; poetaster).
2 Bot. denoting incomplete resemblance (oleaster; pinaster).
Etymology: L

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I. \\|astə(r), |aas-\ noun suffix (-s)

Etymology: Middle English, from Latin, suffix denoting partial resemblance

: one that is inferior, worthless, or not genuine

criticaster

poetaster

II. \\| ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷\ noun combining form (-s)

Etymology: New Latin, from Greek astēr

: star — in structural and generic names in biology

diaster

Geaster

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-aster¹

a diminutive or pejorative suffix denoting something that imperfectly resembles or mimics the true thing: criticaster; poetaster, oleaster.

[ < L]

-aster²

Chiefly Biol. a combining form with the meaning "star," used in the formation of compound words: diaster.

[ < Gk astér STAR; cf. ASTRO-]

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-aster /-a-stər/

combining form

1. Denoting: a poor imitation of

2. A person who has pretensions to being, as in criticaster, poetaster, politicaster

ORIGIN: L

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suffix forming nouns

1) denoting poor quality

criticaster | poetaster

2) Botany denoting incomplete resemblance

oleaster

•

Origin:

from Latin

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-aster

(-ˈæstə(r))

a. L. -aster, suffix of ns. and adjs., expressing incomplete resemblance, hence generally pejorative (Diez); e.g. L. philosophaster a petty philosopher, oleaster a wild or bastard olive, surdaster a little deaf. Extensively used in Rom. langs. (It. -astro, Sp. -astro, -astre, Pr. -astre, OF. -astre, mod.F. -âtre), esp. in F. as adj. suffix, e.g. bleuâtre bluish, blanchâtre whitish, etc. In Eng. only in words from L. or Romance, e.g. astrologaster, grammaticaster, oleaster, poetaster, politicaster.