squawfish

[skwaw-fish]

squaw·fish

[skwaw-fish]
noun, plural (especially collectively) squaw·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) squaw·fish·es.
1.
any of several large, voracious cyprinid fishes of the genus Ptychocheilus, inhabiting rivers of the western U.S. and Canada: the Colorado squawfish, P. lucius, is endangered.
2.
a viviparous perch, Embiotoca lateralis, living off the Pacific Coast of the U.S.

Origin:
1880–85, Americanism; squaw + fish
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To squawfish

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Squawfish is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

squawfish

any of several edible fishes of the genus Ptychocheilus found in the rivers of western North America. They are the largest members of the carp family (Cyprinidae) in North America. Squawfishes are long, large-mouthed, pike-like fishes. Voracious carnivores, they make lively sport fishes. The largest species, the Colorado River squawfish, or white salmon (P. lucius), may grow to about 1.5 metres (5 feet) with a reported weight of about 36 kilograms (79 pounds); because of changes in its habitat, this species has declined significantly and is considered endangered

Learn more about squawfish with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT