blenny

[ blen-ee ]

/ ˈblɛn i /

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noun, plural blen·nies.

any of several fishes of the family Blenniidae and related families, especially of the genus Blennius, having a long, tapering body and small pelvic fins inserted before the pectoral fins.

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Origin of blenny

1745–55; <Latin blennius a kind of fish <Greek blénnos slime, mucus; so called from its slimy coating

Words nearby blenny

Blenheim, Blenheim Palace, Blenheim spaniel, blennioid, blennorrhoea, blenny, blent, bleomycin, blephar-, blepharism, blepharitis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use blenny in a sentence

The Large Blenny (B. gattorugine) inhabits deeper water, chiefly off the south-west coast, and reaches a length of a foot or more.
The Sea Shore|William S. Furneaux
He describes how in the embryo of the Blenny there is a short, thick arch between the first gill-slit and the mouth.
Form and Function|E. S. (Edward Stuart) Russell
A curious little blenny-fish swarms in the numerous creeks which intersect the mangrove topes.
A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries|David Livingstone
It was a small fish—a familiar fish, too—which he had known in the pools of his native land by the name of blenny.
Black Ivory|R.M. Ballantyne

Seeing that the coast was clear, for Disco stood as motionless as a mangrove tree, blenny hopped upon the dry land.
Black Ivory|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for blenny

blenny

/ (ˈblɛnɪ) /

noun plural -nies

any blennioid fish of the family Blenniidae of coastal waters, esp of the genus Blennius, having a tapering scaleless body, a long dorsal fin, and long raylike pelvic fins

any of various related fishes

Word Origin for blenny

C18: from Latin blennius, from Greek blennos slime; from the mucus that coats its body

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