| urchin | 1. <zoology> A hedgehog. 2. <zoology> A sea urchin. See Sea urchin. 3. A mischievous elf supposed sometimes to take the form a hedgehog. "We 'll dress [them] like urchins, ouphes, and fairies." 4. A pert or roguish child; now commonly used only of a boy. "And the urchins that stand with their thievish eyes Forever on watch ran off each with a prize." (W. Howitt) "You did indeed dissemble, you urchin you; but where's the girl that won't dissemble for an husband?" (Goldsmith) 5. One of a pair in a series of small card cylinders, arranged around a carding drum; so called from its fancied resemblance to the hedgehog. <zoology> Urchin fish, a diodon. Origin: OE. Urchon, irchon, a hedgehog, OF. Irecon, ericon, herion, herichon, F. Herisson, a derivative fr. L. Ericius, from er a hedgehog, for her; akin to Gr. Cf. Herisson. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| sea urchin | <zoology> Any one of numerous species of echinoderms of the order Echinoidea. When living they are covered with movable spines which are often long and sharp. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| sea urchin granuloma | Granulomatous nodules, either foreign-body type or composed of epitheliod cells, from the retention of the spine of the sea urchin, occurring several months after the wounding of the skin. (05 Mar 2000) |