blenny

[ blen-ee ]

/ ˈblɛn i /

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.

Nearby words

blennoid, blennorrhea, blennorrhoea, blennostasis, blennuria, blenny, blent, bleomycin, blephar-, blepharectomy, blepharedema

Origin of blenny

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for blenny

Blenny, blen′ni, n. a genus of acanthopterygious fishes, covered with mucus or slimy matter.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
The hard-pressed crew of the Blenny responded to it, but they had to exert every nerve and muscle to keep the enemy at bay.
The Three Midshipmen|W.H.G. Kingston
This made her captain and crew grow bold, and approach still nearer to the Blenny.
The Three Midshipmen|W.H.G. Kingston
The African blenny is a sort of amphibious animal, living nearly as much out of the water as in it.
Black Ivory|R.M. Ballantyne

Rouse up, Blenny dear, and tell me about these notes of invitation for our dinner-party.
The Dogs' Dinner Party|Unknown

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

Word Origin and History for blenny

blenny

1774, from Latin blennius (in Pliny), from Greek blennos, from blenna "slime, mucus," from PIE *mled-sno-, from root *mel- "soft." The fish so called from the coating on its scales.