noun
Poetic or literary term for a shooting star, literally 'night-crawling star'. Used in classical or romantic contexts rather than everyday speech; the common modern term is 流れ星.
夜空に夜這い星が流れた。
A shooting star streaked across the night sky.
昔の人は夜這い星に願いをかけたという。
It is said that people long ago made wishes upon shooting stars.
流れ星 is the standard modern word for 'shooting star', while 夜這い星 is a poetic, old-fashioned synonym.
Compound of 夜這い (yobai, 'night crawling', an old custom of visiting a lover at night) and 星 (hoshi, 'star'), referring to a star that seems to crawl across the night sky. The exact origin is uncertain, but the term evokes a romantic, fleeting image.