crown of thorns
noun phraseDefinition of crown of thorns
: 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
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on crown of thorns
What made you want to look up crown of thorns? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Musical Words Quiz
- Which word describes a musical performance marked by the absence of instrumental accompaniment?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Share crown of thorns
Time Traveler for crown of thorns
The first known use of crown of thorns was in 1964
See more words from the same year