crown-of-thorns starfish
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of crown-of-thorns starfish
First recorded in 1960–65
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There has been some success with the Australian government's crown-of-thorns starfish culling programme, which has killed over 50,000 starfish by injecting them with vinegar or ox bile.
From BBC • Aug. 5, 2025
The crown-of-thorns starfish is nature's ultimate coral predator, with a circle of life perfectly adapted to warming waters.
From Science Daily • Oct. 18, 2023
Another AU$253 million will support the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which manages the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, in efforts to reduce threats from the crown-of-thorns starfish and to prevent illegal fishing.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 28, 2022
While snorkeling, we were warned to steer clear of the pretty but pointed crown-of-thorns starfish, and more than once we spotted a venomous scorpionfish lurking along the bottom.
From Washington Post • Oct. 1, 2020
Villagers are also removing the crown-of-thorns starfish, which eat coral, from the reef.
From New York Times • Oct. 24, 2018
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
