candlefish

[ kan-dl-fish ]

noun,plural (especially collectively) can·dle·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) can·dle·fish·es.

Also called eulachon. a small, edible, smeltlike fish, Thaleichthys pacificus, of northwestern coastal waters of North America, being so oily that when dried it can be used as a candle.
sablefish.

Origin of candlefish

First recorded in 1880–85; candle + fish

Words Nearby candlefish

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

British Dictionary definitions for candlefish

candlefish

/ (ˈkændəlˌfɪʃ) /

nounplural -fish or -fishes

a salmonoid food fish, Thaleichthys pacificus, that occurs in the N Pacific and has oily flesh: Also called: eulachon

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

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