sea anemone

noun

: any of numerous usually solitary anthozoan polyps (order Actiniaria) whose form, bright and varied colors, and cluster of tentacles superficially resemble a flower

Examples of sea anemone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Clownfish living in sea anemones aren’t as amicable as Pixar’s Finding Nemo might suggest. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024 The purple tentacles of a sea anemone blossomed like petals of a dahlia, and a sluglike nudibranch with electric orange spots clung to a ribbon of kelp. Jen Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024 The reef includes plush fish, barnacles, starfish, sea anemone and a removable octopus rattle kids can pull off and shake. Taryn Mohrman, wsj.com, 8 Dec. 2023 But starfish—as well as sand dollars and sea anemones—have radial symmetry, with identical segments of their body radiating out from a central point. Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2023 In 2021 Cheng published a review of learning in Cnidaria—a group that includes jellyfish, corals, sea anemones, and more—and found only a handful of studies that tested for associative learning, all of which were on sea anemones. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2023 The starlet sea anemone is the only species known to produce tentacles this way, but there is evidence that food intake effects the development of other cnidarian species. Claire Bugos, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Sep. 2020 Imagining a coral reef might bring to mind scenes teeming with fish, crustaceans and sea anemones. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2023 Their closest relatives that still live today include sponges, sea anemones and comb jellies. Viviane Callier, Scientific American, 17 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sea anemone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1742, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sea anemone was in 1742

Dictionary Entries Near sea anemone

Cite this Entry

“Sea anemone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sea%20anemone. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sea anemone

noun
: any of several invertebrate sea animals that are coelenterates, look like flowers, and have clusters of brightly colored tentacles around the mouth

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