What does starfish mean?

Definitions for starfish
ˈstɑrˌfɪʃstarfish

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word starfish.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. starfish, sea starnoun

    echinoderms characterized by five arms extending from a central disk

Wiktionary

  1. starfishnoun

    Any of various asteroids or other echinoderms (not in fact fish) with usually five arms, many of which eat bivalves or corals by everting their stomach.

  2. starfishnoun

    an anus. See also chocolate starfish.

  3. Etymology: star + fish

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Starfishnoun

    A fish branching out into several point.

    Etymology: star and fish.

    This has a ray of one species of English starfish. John Woodward.

Wikipedia

  1. Starfish

    Starfish or sea stars are star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea (). Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to as brittle stars or basket stars. Starfish are also known as asteroids due to being in the class Asteroidea. About 1,900 species of starfish live on the seabed in all the world's oceans, from warm, tropical zones to frigid, polar regions. They are found from the intertidal zone down to abyssal depths, at 6,000 m (20,000 ft) below the surface. Starfish are marine invertebrates. They typically have a central disc and usually five arms, though some species have a larger number of arms. The aboral or upper surface may be smooth, granular or spiny, and is covered with overlapping plates. Many species are brightly coloured in various shades of red or orange, while others are blue, grey or brown. Starfish have tube feet operated by a hydraulic system and a mouth at the centre of the oral or lower surface. They are opportunistic feeders and are mostly predators on benthic invertebrates. Several species have specialized feeding behaviours including eversion of their stomachs and suspension feeding. They have complex life cycles and can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Most can regenerate damaged parts or lost arms and they can shed arms as a means of defense. The Asteroidea occupy several significant ecological roles. Starfish, such as the ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus) and the reef sea star (Stichaster australis), have become widely known as examples of the keystone species concept in ecology. The tropical crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a voracious predator of coral throughout the Indo-Pacific region, and the northern Pacific sea star is considered to be one of the world's 100 worst invasive species. The fossil record for starfish is ancient, dating back to the Ordovician around 450 million years ago, but it is rather sparse, as starfish tend to disintegrate after death. Only the ossicles and spines of the animal are likely to be preserved, making remains hard to locate. With their appealing symmetrical shape, starfish have played a part in literature, legend, design and popular culture. They are sometimes collected as curios, used in design or as logos, and in some cultures, despite possible toxicity, they are eaten.

ChatGPT

  1. starfish

    A starfish, also known as a sea star, is a marine invertebrate. They typically have a central disc and five or more arms, giving them a star-like shape. Starfish belong to a large group of marine animals called echinoderms. They come in various sizes and colors, and are found on every ocean floor in the world. Many starfish are predatory, mainly eating clams and oysters. Some species have the unique ability to regenerate lost arms and can clone themselves via split bodies.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Starfishnoun

    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

  2. Starfishnoun

    the dollar fish, or butterfish

Wikidata

  1. Starfish

    The breakthrough 1988 album by The Church, Starfish, which went gold in America, has remained the band's most commercially successful release. The album sold 600,000 copies in the United States alone. The first single, "Under the Milky Way", charted well into the American Top 40, peaking at #24 and #2 on Mainstream Rock Tracks leading to significant exposure of the then relatively underground Australian act. In Australia "Under the Milky Way" climbed to Number 5, and Starfish reached Number 7 on the album charts, the band's positions ever in their home market.

U.S. National Library of Medicine

  1. Starfish

    Echinoderms having bodies of usually five radially disposed arms coalescing at the center.

Suggested Resources

  1. starfish

    The starfish symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the starfish symbol and its characteristic.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of starfish in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of starfish in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Popularity rank by frequency of use

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"starfish." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/starfish>.

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