brittle star

noun

: any of a class or subclass (Ophiuroidea) of echinoderms that have slender flexible arms distinct from the central disk

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web But not all energy is created equal: thermal energy (i.e., water temperature) dictates brittle star diversity patterns at depths shallower than 2,000 meters, but chemical energy takes over in the deep sea. Jeffrey Marlow, Discover Magazine, 16 May 2016 O'Hara hopes that the discovery of this ancient lineage of brittle star will excite the public and academic community enough to justify funding for further taxonomic deep sea research. Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 21 June 2021 Scientists from the French Natural History Museum collected an ancient specimen of brittle star (Ophiojura) in 2011. Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 21 June 2021 By chance, researchers happened upon this ancient genus of brittle star—a distant relative of the starfish—during a 2011 trawling expedition on the Banc Durand seamount off the coast of New Caledonia in the Pacific. Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 21 June 2021 The carcasses of any creatures that can’t flee – worms, burrowing crabs, brittle stars – lie motionless in the mud. Sarah Kaplan, Twin Cities, 11 June 2019 The carcasses of any creatures that can’t flee – worms, burrowing crabs, brittle stars – lie motionless in the mud. Sarah Kaplan, Twin Cities, 11 June 2019 The carcasses of any creatures that can’t flee – worms, burrowing crabs, brittle stars – lie motionless in the mud. Sarah Kaplan, Twin Cities, 11 June 2019 The carcasses of any creatures that can’t flee – worms, burrowing crabs, brittle stars – lie motionless in the mud. Sarah Kaplan, Twin Cities, 11 June 2019 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brittle star.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brittle star was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near brittle star

Cite this Entry

“Brittle star.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brittle%20star. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

brittle star

noun
: any of a group of sea animals similar to the related starfishes but having slender flexible arms

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