butterflyfish

[ buht-er-flahy-fish ]

noun,plural (especially collectively) but·ter·fly·fish·es, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) but·ter·fly·fish.
  1. any tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae, having large, broad fins or brilliant coloration, or both.

  1. a blenny, Blennius ocellaris, of Europe.

Origin of butterflyfish

1
First recorded in 1730–40; butterfly + fish

Words Nearby butterflyfish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for butterflyfish

butterflyfish

noun
  1. any small tropical marine percoid fish of the genera Chaetodon, Chelmon, etc, that has a deep flattened brightly coloured or strikingly marked body and brushlike teeth: family Chaetodontidae: See also angelfish (def. 1)

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