serpent star
- noun
- /ˈsɜr.pənt stɑr/
:
estrella serpiente
- The fragile arms of a serpent star can easily break off when touched.
Examples
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Many aquariums display the serpent star because of its unusual appearance and movement.
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The serpent star is often found in coral reefs.
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During the dive, the marine biologist discovered a serpent star hiding under the rock.
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Have you ever seen a serpent star in the wild?
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During the dive, the marine biologist discovered a serpent star hiding under the rock.
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Many aquariums display the serpent star because of its unusual appearance and movement.
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The fragile arms of a serpent star can easily break off when touched.
Synonyms
A small sea animal with a round body and long thin arms like a starfish
Surface Forms
Morphology
serpent + star
The compound transparently combines 'serpent' (snake) + 'star' (a star-shaped animal/figure), so its meaning as a star-shaped creature with snake-like, slender arms is directly inferable from the parts. This follows an ordinary English noun+noun descriptive pattern (like 'whale shark' or 'leaf beetle'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably guess the intended referent.
Etymology
Serpent star comes from the animal's snake-like arms and star-shaped body. Here serpent points to the long, thin arms that move like a little snake and star points to the round centre with arms, so the name helps you remember this 'marine animal' often called a 'brittle star'.
