basket star

noun

1. any echinoderm of the class Ophiuroidea, especially of the genus Gorgonocephalus, having long, slender, branching arms.

basket-star

noun

1. any of several echinoderms of the genus Gorgonocephalus , in which long slender arms radiate from a central disc: order Ophiuroidea (brittle-stars)

Word History and Origins

Origin of basket star¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Very curious, too, is the basket-star, which at first sight does not look like a starfish at all.

From Project Gutenberg

The basket-star catches its prey by means of these wonderful rays, which it wraps all round it in the form of a circular basket.

From Project Gutenberg