starfish

noun star·fish \ ˈstär-ˌfish \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of starfish

: 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

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Recent Examples of starfish from the Web

The jeweler that created the starfish was the House of Boivin, which opened in the 1890s.

— moira hodgson, WSJ, "‘Diving for Starfish’ Review: The Affair L’Étoile de Mer," 22 Mar. 2018
Cabrinovic tells Pavid that the mass stranding of starfish, at least, isn’t a concern for the species.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "Tens of Thousands of Sea Creatures Wash Up on UK Shores Following Freezing Weather," 8 Mar. 2018
The reef system, a world wonder and habitat for thousands of species, often falls prey to invasive starfish, but one of the reef system's biggest threats is coral bleaching.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Floating Sunscreen-Like Film Could Protect the Great Barrier Reef," 27 Mar. 2018
The starfish looked real enough to climb out of the case and march up my arm. . . .

— moira hodgson, WSJ, "‘Diving for Starfish’ Review: The Affair L’Étoile de Mer," 22 Mar. 2018
Because of this, starfish strandings are a common occurrence.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "Tens of Thousands of Sea Creatures Wash Up on UK Shores Following Freezing Weather," 8 Mar. 2018
Over the weekend, people took photos of English beaches covered in starfish and other sea life.

— sean rossman, USA TODAY, "Thousands of starfish wash ashore in England after winter weather," 6 Mar. 2018
And every winter, the aquarium throws a big party, where locals turn up to nudge starfish and surfperch back into the ocean.

— Sunset, "An Epic Adventure on B.C.’s Vancouver Island," 22 Jan. 2018
For more than a century, the ship lay on the seabed, 7,200 feet below the surface, attracting starfish and the occasional visit from a curious Greenland shark.

— karla zabludovsky, Newsweek, "Sunken Ship Laden With Gold Lures Treasure Hunters – Again," 19 Mar. 2014

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