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serpent star

 - 4 dictionary results

brittle star

 
–noun
any echinoderm of the class Ophiuroidea, having the body composed of a central, rounded disk from which radiate long, slender, fragile arms.
Also, brit⋅tle⋅star.
Also called serpent star.

Origin:
1835–45
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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serpent star  
n.  A brittle star.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

serpent star

any of the 2,000 living species of marine invertebrates comprising the class Ophiuroidea (phylum Echinodermata). Their long, thin arms-usually five and often forked and spiny-are distinctly set off from the small disk-shaped body. The arms readily break off but soon regrow-i.e., are regenerated

Learn more about serpent star with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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