starfish

noun

star·​fish ˈstär-ˌfish How to pronounce starfish (audio)
: any of a class (Asteroidea) of echinoderms that have a body of usually five arms radially arranged about a central disk and feed largely on mollusks (such as oysters)

called also sea star

Examples of starfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Some variants include the soldier and starfish positions. Brianna Kamienski, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 Special mention, too, to Robert Downey Jr.’s glittering starfish brooch. Radhika Seth, Vogue, 19 Feb. 2024 Youngsters will love interacting with horseshoe crabs and starfish in the Tide Pool Touch Tank, petting the baby stingrays or even feeding the adult nurse sharks. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Off the southern coast of the island is a beach called Playa El Cielo, famous for the thousands of underwater starfish scattered across the fine white sand, much like stars in the sky. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2024 Coastal artwork over the fireplace flanks shelving that is filled to the brim with shell frames and boxes. 04 Tropical Living Room Tortoise and conch shells accessorize the living room, while starfish adorn the mantel. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2023 White seats shaped like coral with starfish cushions dotted around the space as music from Disney’s The Little Mermaid played on speakers. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 28 Jan. 2024 Playa Norte is one of the best beaches in Mexico, while Playa El Cielo is one of the best spots in Cancun to snorkel with thousands of starfish. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2024 Jon Batiste also turned to the jewelry house for his starfish brooch by Jean Schlumberger. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'starfish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of starfish was in 1538

Dictionary Entries Near starfish

Cite this Entry

“Starfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starfish. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

starfish

noun
star·​fish ˈstär-ˌfish How to pronounce starfish (audio)
: any of a class of echinoderms that have five arms arranged evenly around a central disk and feed largely on mollusks (as oysters)

More from Merriam-Webster on starfish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!