remora

American  

[rem-er-uh] / ˈrɛm ər ə /

noun

1. any of several fishes of the family Echeneididae, having on the top of the head a sucking disk by which they can attach themselves to sharks, turtles, ships, and other moving objects.

2. Archaic. an obstacle, hindrance, or obstruction.

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remora British  

/ ˈrɛmərə /

noun

1. any of the marine spiny-finned fishes constituting the family Echeneidae . They have a flattened elongated body and attach themselves to larger fish, rocks, etc, by a sucking disc on the top of the head

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Etymology

Origin of remora

1560–70; < Latin: literally, delay, hindrance, derivative of remorārī to linger, delay, equivalent to re- re- + morārī to delay

Example Sentences

Like a very profitable remora attached to a very large shark.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 9, 2025

Longtime Beltway attention-economy remora Dick Morris, meanwhile, has just weighed in with this marvel:

From Slate • Jun. 25, 2021

One or two remora would be unlikely to slow down a 40-foot whale shark, says Meekan, but when you start adding more and more remoras, those costs can add up.

From National Geographic • Feb. 13, 2018

Alongside him — remora to his Great White — was the chiseled actor John Kortajarena, guiltlessly popping sweets.

From New York Times • Feb. 27, 2017

I examined a remora of the South Sea during the passage from Lima to Acapulco.

From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 3 by Humboldt, Alexander von