sea fan

noun

: any of various gorgonian corals (especially genus Gorgonia) with a compressed fan-shaped skeleton
especially : either of two (Gorgonia ventalina and G. flabellum) of Florida, the Caribbean, and the West Indies

Examples of sea fan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Soft corals include species like the purple sea fan or branching corals without an outer skeleton. — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2025 Purple sea fans waved beneath the surface while iridescent blue chromis, a type of damselfish, looked fit for a rave. — Marlise Kast-Myers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025 And guests snorkel along reefs coated with purple sea fans, roamed by schools of teal parrotfish, eagle rays, and angelfish. — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026 Hover 10 to 25 feet deep above a sea floor dotted with purple sea fans and green urn-like formations. — New York Times, 13 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sea fan

Word History

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sea fan was in 1633

Rhymes for sea fan

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Browse Nearby Words

Sea Explorer
sea fan
seafarer
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Cite this Entry

“Sea fan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sea%20fan. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sea fan

noun
: any of various invertebrate sea animals that form fan-shaped colonies and are coelenterates related to the corals and sea anemones

More from Merriam-Webster on sea fan

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sea fan

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