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Glite Dictionary
sea cucumber

sea cucumber

4 4.8
A soft sea animal with a long body, leathery skin, and tentacles around its mouth
  • noun
  • /siː ˈkjuːm.bər/
translation icon : pepino de mar
  • There are about 1,400 living species of sea cucumber in a variety of forms.
  • sea cucumber fishery
  • sea cucumber species
  • sea cucumber landing

Examples

  • In many coastal regions, people often harvest sea cucumbers as a delicacy.

  • I sent him to look for sea cucumbers.

    Luca (2021)

  • I had a bit of a weird experience with the sea cucumber.

    Cancel Me Not (2024)

  • I always wanted to try a sea cucumber.

    Jennifer's Body (2009)

  • At present, 66 species of sea cucumbers are commercially exploited.

    Academic text (2015)

  • Some species of sea cucumbers produce toxins that have medicinal value.

    Academic text (2015)

  • Sea cucumbers are considered a culinary delicacy and a traditional cure for many illnesses in many Asian countries.

    Academic text (2015)

  • The Holothuroidea, or sea cucumbers, are an abundant and diverse group of worm-like and usually soft-bodied echinoderms.

    Academic text (2015)

  • The underwater explorer observed a sea cucumber crawling along the ocean floor.

  • Divers discovered a rare species of sea cucumber during their marine research.

Synonyms

echinoderm
vssea cucumber
  • Specialized
2 9.9

A sea animal like a starfish or sea urchin with tube feet and five similar sections

is the specific soft elongated type within that broader phylum
sea animal
vssea cucumber
1 1.0

A living thing that lives in the sea like a fish or whale

is a specific marine invertebrate with soft body and mouth tentacles
holothurian
vssea cucumber
  • Specialized
9.9

A sea animal with a soft, long body and tentacles near its mouth

is the common everyday name rather than the technical scientific term
sea pig
vssea cucumber
  • Specialized
9.9

A deep-sea animal that looks like a fat sea cucumber and crawls on the ocean floor

is the broader group that includes typical coastal and deep varieties

Surface Forms

sea cucumber singular
sea cucumbers plural

Morphology

sea + cucumber

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'sea' (marine) + 'cucumber' (the vegetable): it denotes a sea-dwelling organism that resembles a cucumber in shape/appearance. This kind of descriptive noun–noun compounding is common across languages (e.g., French 'concombre de mer', Spanish 'pepino de mar') and follows a transparent naming pattern that a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer.

Etymology

Sea cucumber was named because this slow, soft animal looks like a long garden cucumber that lives in the sea, often lying on the ocean floor. That clear picture helps explain why the name means 'a sea animal with a long, soft body'.