sea urchin

noun

: any of numerous echinoderms (class Echinoidea) that are usually enclosed in thin brittle globular tests covered with movable spines

Examples of sea urchin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Other algae grazers like sea urchins, meanwhile, have vanished, too. Benji Jones, Vox, 8 Oct. 2024 Earlier this year, researchers found that gray whales were avoiding the Oregon coast due to a drastic increase in sea urchins that have been depleting local kelp forests. Meira Gebel, Axios, 4 Oct. 2024 Our ramen noodles with California sea urchin are one of my current favorites. Chelsea Davis, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024 Best in show here: pillowy gnocchi served with sea urchin plucked from the rocks just yards away from where we were seated. Andrew Sessa, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sea urchin 

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sea urchin was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near sea urchin

Cite this Entry

“Sea urchin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sea%20urchin. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

sea urchin

noun
: any of a class of small marine invertebrate animals that are echinoderms, usually live on or burrow in the sea bottom, and are enclosed in roundish shells covered with spines that can move

More from Merriam-Webster on sea urchin

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!