miller's-thumb
[ mil-erz-thuhm ]
noun
any of several small, freshwater sculpins of the genus Cottus, of Europe and North America.
Origin of miller's-thumb
11400–50; late Middle English milneres thume; the fish is so called from its thumblike head
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British Dictionary definitions for miller's thumb
miller's thumb
noun
any of several small freshwater European fishes of the genus Cottus, esp C. gobio, having a flattened body: family Cottidae (bullheads, etc)
Origin of miller's thumb
1C15: from the alleged likeness of the fish's head to a thumb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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