urchin
urchin Lexical Profile
urchin Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A sea urchin; a small, globular marine echinoderm of the class Echinoidea, found on ocean floors worldwide and enclosed in a rigid shell covered with movable spines.
"While exploring the rocky tide pools at low tide, we spotted a purple urchin nestled inside a crevice."
A mischievous, raggedly dressed, or impoverished young child, especially one who spends a great deal of time on the streets.
"In the novel, a clever street urchin guides the lost traveler through the winding alleys of Victorian London."
The edible roe (gonads) of the sea urchin, prized in Japanese, Mediterranean, and coastal cuisines as a rich, briny seafood delicacy.
"The chef topped the warm pasta with fresh urchin and a squeeze of lemon juice."
British (archaic or dialectal) A hedgehog; a small, nocturnal, insectivorous Old World mammal of the family Erinaceidae having a coat of stiff, sharp spines.
"In older country folklore, the prickly woodland urchin was often blamed for stealing milk from sleeping cows."
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French irechon ('hedgehog'), ultimately from Latin ericius, derived from er ('hedgehog'). The marine echinoderm was named 'sea urchin' after its spiky resemblance to the land mammal, and the word's application to mischievous or ragged children arose from old folkloric associations of hedgehogs with goblins and elves.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.