starfish

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noun star·fish \ ˈstär-ˌfish \

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

See starfish defined for English-language learners

See starfish defined for kids

Recent Examples of starfish from the Web

Lines are not required to respect preexisting political boundaries; districts are permitted to cut across existing political boundaries in a variety of ways and can end up resembling amoebas or starfish.

— bernard grofman, Washington Post, "The U.S. could be free of gerrymandering. Here’s how other countries do redistricting.," 7 Aug. 2017
Separated by the condiments, the mollusk looked not unlike a starfish, its crust smoky and ever-so-slightly crunchy, the fish itself chewy but not overly so.

— anna caplan, star-telegram, "Nothing run-of-the-mill about Ristorante Mulino," 18 July 2017
The aquarium is open with free parking until 4 p.m. Included is a starfish kids' craft and a red-white-and-blue scavenger hunt.

— plain dealer staff, cleveland.com, "Fireworks, parades and festivals in Northeast Ohio this holiday weekend," 30 June 2017
For freedivers willing to brave colder waters, Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort in Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, Canada, takes guests on guided ocean freedives to see box crabs, starfish and edible sea urchins.

— nora walsh, New York Times, "Days With the Manta Rays: Where to Learn to Freedive," 29 June 2017
Most of the Gulf is a barren desert, empty sand and little else but jellyfish and starfish.

— AL.com, "Alabama's 60,000-year-old underwater forest spills its secrets in new documentary," 25 June 2017
Her Resort 2018 collection, which will be available for pre-order on Moda Operandi from July 15, marks the label‘s official launch, with dreamy dresses and separates inspired by Brittle starfish.

— brooke bobb, Vogue, "Markarian Is the New It Girls’ Go-To for Dreamy Dresses," 21 June 2017
Animals like the starfish or the gecko may be best known for their rapid limb regeneration, but deer are actually among the fastest organ-growers in the animal kingdom.

— jason bittel, Smithsonian, "Antlers Are Miraculous Face Organs That Could Benefit Human Health," 12 June 2017
Kyla Pokorny's favorite color – with starfish and dragonfly decorations atop.

— mikaela porter, courant.com, "Kyla Porkorny's Family Celebrates Woman's Life, Dreams," 4 June 2017

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.

First Known Use of starfish

1538

STARFISH Defined for English Language Learners

starfish

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noun

Definition of starfish for English Language Learners

: a sea animal that has five arms and that looks like a star

STARFISH Defined for Kids

starfish

play

noun star·fish \ ˈstär-ˌfish \

Definition of starfish for Students

:a sea animal that usually has five arms that spread out from a central disk and feeds mostly on mollusks

Learn More about starfish

See words that rhyme with starfish Spanish Central: Translation of starfish Nglish: Translation of starfish for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of starfish for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about starfish

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starfish

Definition of starfish

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STARFISH Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of starfish for English Language Learners

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starfish

Definition of starfish for Students

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