Phrase guide

brittle star

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of various echinoderms, of the class Ophiuroidea, that resemble starfish and have long, slender arms that regenerate when snapped off.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

an animal resembling a starfish with fragile whiplike arms radiating from a small central disc

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brittle-star, serpent star

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: echinoderm

History

Etymology

From brittle + star.

Across languages

Translations

28 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: estrella de mar amb potes — echinoderms
  • Catalan: ofiuroïdeu — echinoderms
  • Chinese Mandarin: 海蛇尾 (hǎishéwěi) — echinoderms
  • Czech: hadice — echinoderms
  • Danish: slangestjerne — echinoderms
  • Dutch: slangster — echinoderms
  • Estonian: ofiuroid — echinoderms
  • Finnish: käärmetähti — echinoderms
  • French: ophiure — echinoderms
  • German: Schlangenstern — echinoderms
  • Ido: ofiruoido — echinoderms
  • Ido: ofiuro — echinoderms
  • Italian: stella serpentina — echinoderms
  • Japanese: 蜘蛛海星 — echinoderms
  • Japanese: 蜘蛛人手 (kumo hitode) — echinoderms
  • Korean: 거미불가사리 (geomibulgasari) — echinoderms
  • Latin: ophiuroīdēum — echinoderms
  • Navajo: sǫʼ łóóʼ bigaanézí — echinoderms
  • Polish: wężowidło — echinoderms
  • Portuguese: ofiuroide — echinoderms
  • Quechua: qinqu quyllur — echinoderms
  • Russian: офиу́ра (ofiúra) — echinoderms
  • Spanish: ofiura — echinoderms
  • Spanish: ofiuroideo — echinoderms
  • Swedish: ormstjärna — echinoderms
  • Ukrainian: офіу́ра (ofiúra) — echinoderms
  • Vietnamese: sao biển đuôi rắn — echinoderms
  • Vietnamese: sao biển giòn — echinoderms