star-nosed mole

American  

[stahr-nohzd] / ˈstɑrˌnoʊzd /

Or starnose mole

noun

1. a North American mole, Condylura cristata, having a starlike ring of fleshy processes around the end of the snout.

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star-nosed mole British  

noun

1. an E North American amphibious mole, Condylura cristata , having a ring of pink fleshy tentacles around the nose

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Etymology

Origin of star-nosed mole

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30

Example Sentences

Researchers compared the genomes of these mammals with those of a diverse assortment of others, including an aardvark, a meerkat, a star-nosed mole and a human.

From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2023

The star-nosed mole can barely see, yet this hamster-size mammal is the fastest-hunting predator in the animal kingdom.

From Washington Post • Mar. 21, 2022

Certainly it is hard to imagine an animal much stranger than the star-nosed mole, a creature you might picture emerging from a flying saucer to greet a delegation of curious earthlings.

From Scientific American • Jun. 6, 2017

Still, being able to smell underwater and "see" things with "fingers" that protrude from their snouts make the star-nosed mole a winner in my book.

From The Verge • May 22, 2016

At one point she looks up at me like I’ve turned into a star-nosed mole and then goes back to it.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson