starfish

noun

star·​fish ˈstär-ˌfish 

: 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

Examples of starfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Across the collection are a mix of brooches and pins: sea turtles with diamonds; a starfish with rubies, with each point curved as if the ocean is washing over it, a static piece with a trompe-l’oeil nod to movement. —Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 24 Apr. 2025

Sandy beaches and rocky coves are covered with curiosities to explore—from crabs and starfish in the tidepools to monarchs flying by and humpback whales breaching in the distance. —Pismo Beach Conference and Visitor Bureau, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2025

An experimental new wearable device is designed to make that happen, by copying the body structure of the starfish. —Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 4 Apr. 2025

Inside was a strange accumulation of sea lilies—a type of marine animal related to starfish, with a stalk for anchoring and feathery arms used for filter feeding. —Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for starfish

• bluefish
• catfish
• codfish
• crawfish
• dogfish
• finfish
• flatfish
• goldfish
• groundfish
• kingfish
• offish
• redfish

Kids Definition

starfish

noun

star·​fish ˈstär-ˌfish 

: any of a class of echinoderms that have five arms arranged evenly around a central disk and feed largely on mollusks (as oysters)