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
The second was a long gold statement necklace covered in seashells, starfish and pearls.
—
Raven Brunner, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
But universities are not starfish, flopping about helplessly on a beach while a cruel child slices off their arms one by one.
—Ars Staff, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2025
The banded duckbill was collected from a coarse-sandy bottom where starfish were scuttling along the seafloor, researchers said.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
Nodules provide a habitat to species including sponges, soft corals and sea anemones and the muddy abyssal plains are home to sea cucumbers, starfish, anemones, crustaceans, worms and sponges.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for starfish
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Raven Brunner, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
But universities are not starfish, flopping about helplessly on a beach while a cruel child slices off their arms one by one.
—Ars Staff, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2025
The banded duckbill was collected from a coarse-sandy bottom where starfish were scuttling along the seafloor, researchers said.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
Nodules provide a habitat to species including sponges, soft corals and sea anemones and the muddy abyssal plains are home to sea cucumbers, starfish, anemones, crustaceans, worms and sponges.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for starfish
Cite this Entry
“Starfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starfish. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share