brittle star
noun
: any of a class or subclass (Ophiuroidea) of echinoderms that have slender flexible arms distinct from the central disk
Examples of brittle star in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The researchers’ analysis showed that the brittle stars that were collected from the deep sea shared more DNA across regions than the brittle stars that were collected from the shallows.
—
Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2025
See the new species Off the coast of Taiwan, a new species of brittle star, Breviturma securis, was discovered.
—Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
Enlarge / The brooding brittle star (Amphipholis squamata) was likely the result of multiple hybridization events.
—Richard Pallardy, Ars Technica, 30 July 2024
Environmental scientists worry that harvesting nodules will send up plumes of sediment into the water and kill anything living on the seafloor, such as brittle stars and bizarre sea cucumber species like the one known as the gummy squirrel.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Millions of years ago, animals in this phylum—including starfish, brittle stars, sea cucumbers and sea urchins—were all bilateral.
—Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2025
See the new species Off the coast of Taiwan, a new species of brittle star, Breviturma securis, was discovered.
—Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
Enlarge / The brooding brittle star (Amphipholis squamata) was likely the result of multiple hybridization events.
—Richard Pallardy, Ars Technica, 30 July 2024
Environmental scientists worry that harvesting nodules will send up plumes of sediment into the water and kill anything living on the seafloor, such as brittle stars and bizarre sea cucumber species like the one known as the gummy squirrel.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Millions of years ago, animals in this phylum—including starfish, brittle stars, sea cucumbers and sea urchins—were all bilateral.
—Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Brittle star.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brittle%20star. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share