Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Asterisk \As"ter*isk\, n. [L. asteriscus, Gr. ?, dim. of 'asth`r
   star. See {Aster}.]
   The figure of a star, thus, ?, used in printing and writing
   as a reference to a passage or note in the margin, to supply
   the omission of letters or words, or to mark a word or phrase
   as having a special character.

Source : WordNet®

asterisk
     n : a star-shaped character * used in printing [syn: {star}]
     v : mark with an asterisk; "Linguists star unacceptable
         sentences" [syn: {star}]

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

asterisk
     
         "*" {ASCII} code 42.  Common names include: star;
        {INTERCAL}: {splat}; {ITU-T}: asterisk.  Rare: {wild card};
        gear; dingle; mult; spider; aster; times; twinkle; {glob};
        {Nathan Hale}.  Commonly used as the multiplication operator
        and as the {Kleene star}.
     
        (2000-07-26)