Astraeiform

/æsˈtreɪɪˌfɔːrm/ adjective

Definition

Having the shape or form of a star, especially like the star corals of the Astraea genus.

Etymology

From Astraea (genus name) plus Latin -formis (having the form of), creating an adjective meaning 'star-shaped' or 'having the characteristic form of Astraea corals'.

Kelly Says

This scientific adjective shows how naturalists create technical vocabulary by describing what things look like—'astraeiform' simply means 'looks like those star-corals the Greeks named after the justice goddess!'

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.