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sea star

/si stɑr/
IPA guide

Other forms: sea stars

A sea star is a five-armed ocean creature. If you find a sea star on the beach, it's a good idea to leave it alone, since it may still be alive!

Sea stars are most commonly known as starfish, despite the fact that they're not fish at all, but invertebrates like sand dollars and sea urchins. Most sea stars have five arms, giving them a star shape, but some grow as many as 50. The top of a sea star is spiny, and the underneath is covered with little suckers that help it move along the ocean floor and grasp its prey, which includes oysters and clams.

Definitions of sea star
  1. noun
    echinoderms characterized by five arms extending from a central disk
    synonyms: starfish
    see moresee less
    type of:
    echinoderm
    marine invertebrates with tube feet and five-part radially symmetrical bodies
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