a spark or tiny fire; often used to describe a small beginning that can grow into something large

a metaphor for something extremely urgent or pressing, often used in the phrase 急如星火 jí​rú​xīng​huǒ

the light or trail of a falling meteor; a shooting star

(literary) an ancient name for the star Antares, used in the 书经 shū​jīng to determine the midsummer solstice

(literary) a metaphor for a trivial or minor thing