1755, Erik Pontoppidan, translated by Isaac Kimbler, Explanation of the Plate of Uncommon Star Fish, Extracted from the Natural History of Norway:
But the largest of the star-fish kind is that sea monster called kruken, kraken or krabben. [...] As this enormous sea-animal in all probability may be reckoned of the polype, or of the star-fish, kind, it seems that the parts which are seen rising at its pleasure, and are called arms, are properly the tentacula, or feeding instruments, called horns as well as arms.
(slang) A woman (or, less commonly, a gay man) who reluctantly takes part in sexual intercourse, and lies on the back while spreading the limbs.
(vulgar,slang, usually in translations of Japanese pornography) The anus.
starfish (third-person singular simple presentstarfishes, present participlestarfishing, simple past and past participlestarfished)
(intransitive) To assume a splayed-out shape, like that of a starfish.
1981, Kit Reed, Magic Time, page 229:
"Oh you damn bastard, why won't you let anybody love you," and then, before I could stop her, she threw herself between us and the glowing suitcase, starfishing in the blaze of light as he blew up.
2020, Becky Manawatu, Auē, page 95:
The freckle on her eye starfished out and the sun began to move over her face like it does below the surface of water.
(transitive) To form into a splayed-out shape, like that of a starfish.
2011, Polly Williams, It Happened One Summer:
The sea roared up her nostrils, tunnelled into her ears, and flung her forward, then back, the current pulling her fingers apart, starfishing her hands.
