Starfish

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Starfish \Star"fish`\ (-f[i^]sh`), n.
     1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of echinoderms
        belonging to the class Asterioidea, in which the body is
        star-shaped and usually has five rays, though the number
        of rays varies from five to forty or more. The rays are
        often long, but are sometimes so short as to appear only


        as angles to the disklike body. Called also {sea star},
        {five-finger}, and {stellerid}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The ophiuroids are also sometimes called starfishes.
           See {Brittle star}, and {Ophiuroidea}.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.) The dollar fish, or butterfish.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  starfish
       n : echinoderms characterized by five arms extending from a
           central disk [syn: {sea star}]
       [also: {starfishes} (pl)]