starfish

American  

[stahr-fish] / ˈstɑrˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

starfish,

plural

starfishes

1. any echinoderm of the class Asteroidea, having the body radially arranged, usually in the form of a star, with five or more rays or arms radiating from a central disk; asteroid.

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starfish British  

/ ˈstɑːˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any echinoderm of the class Asteroidea , such as Asterias rubens , typically having a flattened body covered with a flexible test and five arms radiating from a central disc

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starfish Scientific  

/ stär′fĭsh′ /

1. Any of various marine echinoderms of the class Asteroidea, having a star-shaped body usually with five arms. The arms have rows of little suckers on the undersides, called tube feet, with which the animal moves around and grasps prey. Many species extrude their stomach onto prey and digest it externally. Starfish can grow new arms if any are lost, and in one species, a whole individual can be regenerated from a single piece of arm. Starfish are related to sea urchins and sea cucumbers.

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Etymology

Origin of starfish

First recorded in 1530–40; star + fish

Example Sentences

Rough seas and strong winds are usually responsible for dislodging starfish from their seabed habit.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025

Experts at Plymouth University's Marine Institute coined the term after observing starfish change their location in 2016.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025

During Storm Emma in 2018, strong winds and large waves left hundreds of starfish and shellfish dead on miles of beaches in West Norfolk.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025

One example: In the Season 13 episode “Patrick the Mailman,” the starfish delivers a letter to SpongeBob and asks him, “Do you know where this Spon-gee-Boob Squir-pa-Nants lives?”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2025

I also have a white plastic sunglasses case with colored shells and sequins and a green plastic starfish sewed onto it.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath