flathead

flat·head

[flat-hed]
noun, plural ( especially collectively ) flat·head ( especially referring to two or more kinds or species ) flat·heads.
any of several scorpaenoid fishes of the family Platycephalidae, chiefly inhabiting waters of the Indo-Pacific region and used for food.

Origin:
1825–35; flat1 + head

Dictionary.com Unabridged

Flat·head

[flat-hed]
noun
a river in SE British Columbia and NW Montana, flowing S to Flathead Lake and S and W to the Clark Fork River. 240 miles (385 km) long.
00:10
Flathead is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

Flat·head

[flat-hed]
noun
1.
a member of a tribe of Salishan Indians of northwest Montana.
2.
a Chinook Indian.

Origin:
1530–40; so called from their supposed practice of flattening their children's heads

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
flathead (ˈflætˌhɛd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl -head, -heads
any Pacific scorpaenoid food fish of the family Platycephalidae, which resemble gurnards

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Slang Dictionary

flathead definition


  1. n.
    a stupid person. : Carl, don't act like such a flathead.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

flathead

any of the flattened marine fish of the family Platycephalidae (order Scorpaeniformes), found in the Indo-Pacific and in tropical regions of the eastern Atlantic. Flatheads are elongated, large-mouthed fish with tapered bodies, two dorsal fins, and rough scales. As their name indicates, the head, which is large and covered with ridges and spines, and the forward part of the body are flattened from top to bottom. The fish are carnivorous and generally live on the ocean bottom, buried beneath the surface. They are commercially valuable food fish and range in size to a maximum of about 1.3 m (50 inches) and 15 kg (33 pounds)

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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