crown of thorns

noun phrase

: a starfish (Acanthaster planci) of the Pacific region that is covered with long spines and feeds on coral polyps sometimes causing destruction of coral reefs

called also crown-of-thorns starfish

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The faithful often act out the events of Good Friday by carrying a large wooden cross and crown of thorns symbolic of the suffering of Christ. —Greg Garrison | , al, 8 Apr. 2023

Dressed in gray cloth with a black wig, a crown of thorns, and a heavy wooden cross on his shoulder, Mercado walked in sandals ahead of a group dressed as Roman soldiers as the rendition moved through the South End on Friday afternoon. —Nick Stoico, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Apr. 2023

The seventh will be a crown of thorns chandelier. —Diane Bell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above