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sand dollar
noun
: any of numerous flat circular sea urchins (order Clypeasteroida) that live chiefly in shallow water on sandy bottoms
Examples of sand dollar in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tigertail, located on Marco Island, is known for its conch shells, sand dollars, and occasional shark teeth.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
Some of the best beaches to search for conch shells, sand dollars, and other treasures are the Ten Thousand Islands, Sanibel Island, Tiger Tail, Caladesi Island State Park, Shell Island, and Jupiter Island.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
Most closely related to sea urchins, sea stars (aka starfish), sea lilies, and sand dollars, these bottom-dwellers range from as small as one inch long up to six feet.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 15 Nov. 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
Hot-glue wooden skewers onto the back of tiny round ornaments resembling seashells and pearls, sand dollars, and starfish covered in green and blue glitter.
—Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Oct. 2023
Gift shops sell furry bison figurines, and sand dollars are etched with bison silhouettes.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2023
Out farther, closer to the still-receding Pacific, is where there will be whole sand dollars, smooth and unblemished, perfect finds.
—Emily Brisse, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Oct. 2023
This vast sandy beach is ideal for playing volleyball or taking long walks (bring shoes to protect your feet) while spotting sand dollars and nesting crabs.
—Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sand dollar.' 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
1884, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near sand dollar
Cite this Entry
“Sand dollar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sand%20dollar. Accessed 13 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
sand dollar
noun
: any of various round flat sea urchins that usually live in shallow water and on sandy bottoms
More from Merriam-Webster on sand dollar
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sand dollar
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