Definition of DOGFISH

dogfish

Meanings

Plural: dogfish, dogfishes

Noun

  • primitive long-bodied carnivorous freshwater fish with a very long dorsal fin; found in sluggish waters of North America
  • any of several small sharks
  • Any of various small sharks
  • Especially those from the family Squalidae
  • Any of various small sharks
  • A catshark, any shark from family Scyliorhinidae
  • Any of various small sharks
  • A kitefin shark, any shark from family Dalatiidae
  • Any of various small sharks
  • Scyliorhinus canicula or Scyliorhinus stellaris
  • Any of various small sharks
  • Scyliorhinus canicula
  • Any of various small sharks
  • Squalus suckleyi
  • Any of various small sharks
  • Mustelus canis
  • Any of various small sharks
  • Bodianus rufus
  • Any of various small sharks
  • Ginglymostoma cirratum or Mustelus canis
  • Any of various small sharks
  • Ginglymostoma cirratum
  • Any of various small sharks
  • Squalus acanthias, Squalus blainville, Squalus megalops, or Squalus mitsukurii
  • Any of various small sharks
  • The bowfin, Amia calva.

Origin / Etymology

From dog + fish. Compare Greek σκυλόψαρο (skylópsaro, “dogfish”), Latin canicula (“dogfish”, literally “little dog”), Italian pescecane (“dogfish”), French chien de mer (literally “dog of the sea”), German Meerhund (literally “seadog”) and Hundfisch (“dogfish”), and English seadog. For non-Indo-European cognates, see Maltese kelb il-baħar (literally “dog of the sea”) and Turkish köpek balığı (“shark”), likely calques from Indo-European languages.

Synonyms

Amia calva, bowfin, grindle, seadog

Scrabble Score: 15

dogfish is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
dogfish is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
dogfish is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

dogfish is a valid Words With Friends word