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anglerfish

American  
[ang-gler-fish] / ˈæŋ glər fɪʃ /

noun

plural

anglerfish,

plural

anglerfishes
  1. angler.


Etymology

Origin of anglerfish

First recorded in 1645–55; angler + fish

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They weren’t allowed to experiment with mammals, including rats, so they isolated tissue samples from anglerfish, the carnivorous bottom-feeders with razor sharp teeth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

“Another type of anglerfish, the footballfishes, are known from individuals entering shallow water and being found barely alive or dead washed up on beaches.”

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2025

If these trends continue, humans may someday enter a world where anglerfish do not exist at all.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2025

"These traits likely gave anglerfish an edge in exploiting scarce resources and navigating the extreme conditions of their environment, although we don't have strong evidence directly linking this diversity to this kind of resource specialization."

From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2024

A groundbreaking Rice University study sheds light on the extraordinary evolution of anglerfish, a group of deep-sea dwellers whose bizarre adaptations have captivated scientists and the public alike.

From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2024