starfish

[stahr-fish]

noun

plural

starfish ,

plural

starfishes .

1. any echinoderm of the class Asteroidea, having the body radially arranged, usually in the form of a star, with five or more rays or arms radiating from a central disk; asteroid.

starfish

/ ˈstɑːˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any echinoderm of the class Asteroidea , such as Asterias rubens , typically having a flattened body covered with a flexible test and five arms radiating from a central disc

starfish

1. Any of various marine echinoderms of the class Asteroidea, having a star-shaped body usually with five arms. The arms have rows of little suckers on the undersides, called tube feet, with which the animal moves around and grasps prey. Many species extrude their stomach onto prey and digest it externally. Starfish can grow new arms if any are lost, and in one species, a whole individual can be regenerated from a single piece of arm. Starfish are related to sea urchins and sea cucumbers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of starfish¹

First recorded in 1530–40; star + fish

Example Sentences

There has been some success with the Australian government's crown-of-thorns starfish culling programme, which has killed over 50,000 starfish by injecting them with vinegar or ox bile.

From BBC

We’re in matching pajamas — burgundy, orange, brown — spread like starfish across the heated floor.

From Los Angeles Times

Then, they would freeze some of the sperm of the males there and take that — plus 10 live, adult starfish and larvae — back with them to the Lower 48.

From Los Angeles Times

From pilfering chips to swallowing whole starfish, gulls are known for their voracious appetites.

From BBC

The self-declared "fossil geek" said he came across some unusual-looking fragments which turned out to be pieces of sea lily - an underwater species related to starfish and sea urchins - in a piece of chalk.

From BBC