tube foot

noun

: one of the small flexible tubular processes of most echinoderms that are extensions of the water-vascular system and are used especially in locomotion and grasping

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Some use tiny tube feet to crawl, while others, like Synapta, move in undulating, wavelike motions. —

Shaena Montanari, National Geographic, 21 July 2017

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

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of tube foot was in 1888

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Tube foot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tube%20foot. Accessed 3 Jun. 2023.

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Kids Definition

tube foot

noun

: one of the tiny tubes of most echinoderms (as a starfish or sea urchin) that are part of the water-vascular system and are used especially in movement and grasping