staghorn

American  

[stag-hawrn] / ˈstægˌhɔrn /

noun

1. a piece of a stag's antler, especially when used to form objects, decorations, or the like.

2. staghorn coral.

---

adjective

1. made of or decorated with staghorn.

   a knife with a staghorn handle.

Etymology

Origin of staghorn

First recorded in 1655–65; stag + horn

Example Sentences

They carefully scraped away harmful algae and predators impinging on staghorn fragments, under the supervision and training of interns from Islamorada Conservation and Restoration Education, or I.CARE.

From Scientific American • Aug. 20, 2023

Seven species of the coral found in Florida’s reef — elkhorn, staghorn, boulder star, mountainous star, lobed star, rough cactus and pillar — are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 1, 2023

And the most heat-sensitive plants, including Max, a decades-old staghorn fern, and a group of orchids, have been moved from a greenhouse perch to a safer, cooler location.

From New York Times • Jun. 30, 2023

We love the matted-grass trails that are wide and enable us to easily stroll by the staghorn sumac shrubs and successional trees.

From Washington Post • Jul. 22, 2022

There’s a full staghorn fern that grows from the wall.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers