sea urchin

American  

noun

1. any echinoderm of the class Echinoidea, having a somewhat globular or discoid form, and a shell composed of many calcareous plates covered with projecting spines.

2. a tall evergreen shrub or small tree, Hakea laurina, of Australia, having narrow leaves and dense, globe-shaped clusters of crimson flowers with long yellow stamens.

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sea urchin British  

noun

1. any echinoderm of the class Echinoidea, such as Echinus esculentus ( edible sea urchin ), typically having a globular body enclosed in a rigid spiny test and occurring in shallow marine waters

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Etymology

Origin of sea urchin

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

"In the supermarket, you find luxury products, sea urchins or Dom Perignon champagne, and vegetables have become extremely expensive," pushing some people to do their shopping in a neighbouring town.

From Barron's

Crinoids are part of the phylum Echinodermata which also boasts sea urchins and sea cucumbers.

From BBC

“They have a rare species of sea urchin that you find nowhere else in the Archipelago. The spines are a foot long, and they turn red in the presence of predators.”

From Literature

Her fossilized sea urchin, from a beach on the Red Sea, “responds by radiating its own inner joy at being found and loved too,” whispering: “We are two cyclical beings, each with their own story.”

From The Wall Street Journal

In turn, sea urchins are an important food source for many marine mammals, fish, crustaceans, and sea stars.

From Science Daily