feather star

noun

: any of an order (Comatulida) of free-swimming stalkless crinoids

Examples of feather star in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The strawberry feather star lives as deep as 3,800 feet under the ocean surface, the authors estimate—a fittingly extreme home for a far-out animal. Popular Science, 17 Aug. 2023 Wilson and her colleagues reported the Antarctic strawberry feather star and three other new feather star species in a study published in July in the journal Invertebrate Systematics. Popular Science, 17 Aug. 2023 Antarctic feather stars live at ocean depths ranging from 65 to 6500 feet, according to the report. Isabelle Butera, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2023 Some denizens that live on the Antarctic seafloor today, such as certain species of feather star, solve this problem by relying on water currents to bring a steady flow of oxygen and nutrients from the small areas of open water at the surface to deep below the ice shelves. Chris Baraniuk, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 2022 In a day or two, its colour pattern will change, enabling it to blend in with the feather star. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'feather star.' 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

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of feather star was in 1862

Dictionary Entries Near feather star

Cite this Entry

“Feather star.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feather%20star. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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