starfish

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

Examples of starfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Several years ago, starfish succumbed to a wasting disease and vanished from tide pools. — New York Times, "Orcas of the Pacific Northwest Are Starving and Disappearing," 9 July 2018 Kids can look for starfish, snails, and anemones in the tide pools that form among the rocks at the north end of the beach. — BostonGlobe.com, "The 20 best beaches to visit in New England," 2 May 2018 NewsNearly wiped out by mystery illness, California starfish make... — Peter Fimrite, SFChronicle.com, "Fight brewing over Privates Beach in Santa Cruz County, which charges $100 yearly fee," 12 July 2018 Now my peeve: Laguna puts a lot of emphasis on those tide pools but closes its eyes to the shops in town that sell shells and starfish. — latimes.com, "Protecting tide pools is critical but why not stop selling starfish and shells?," 3 July 2018 But unlike me, holding a notepad with one hand and clutching my stomach with the other, Crenn, a two-star Michelin chef, is sitting stretched out like a starfish, wearing joggers and a burgundy puffer vest. — Marissa Miller, Vogue, "How to Spend a Day in San Francisco, According to Chef Dominique Crenn," 17 June 2018 Gigantic lobster tails the size of a dog, the bright suckers of a starfish, and the slurping, sucking, and sloshing of liquids. — Lincoln Michel, GQ, "Évolution Is the Weirdest Sci-Fi Movie on Netflix," 23 June 2018 There were enormous violet starfish, and fried egg jellyfish, big enough to fill a skillet. — Matthew Kronsberg, WSJ, "An Unmissable Outdoor Adventure in Canada’s Gulf Islands," 21 June 2018 Maybe crabs or starfish or those bioluminescent fish. Sneakers or slippers? — Sarah Spellings And Diana Tsui, The Cut, "The Model Finding Beauty in the Mundane," 25 May 2018

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.