sand dollar

American  

noun

• sand dollars
  plural

1. any of various flat, disklike sea urchins, as Mellita testudinata or Echinarachnius parma, that live on sandy bottoms off the coasts of the U.S.

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sand dollar British  

noun

1. any of various flattened disclike echinoderms of the order Clypeasteroida, of shallow North American coastal waters: class Echinoidea (sea urchins)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sand dollars
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sand dollar

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sand dollar

On the island, where most of the movie takes place over a single day, the girls scramble to find a magic sand dollar that will return them to their world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

“The sand dollar kits are a great way for kids to make a souvenir,” she says.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 13, 2022

Brennan: It’s like a little, um, it’s like a little sand dollar, but made of meat and not shell.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2022

The owners prefer “the sand dollar house,” noting the resemblance from above.

From Fox News ● Oct. 1, 2020

“Oh, man,” Hudson whimpered, reaching out for the sand dollar.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan