clingfish

American

[kling-fish] / ˈklɪŋˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

clingfish,

plural

clingfishes

any fish of the family Gobiesocidae, having a sucking disk on the abdomen for clinging cling to stones, debris, etc.

clingfish British

/ ˈklɪŋˌfɪʃ /

noun

any small marine teleost fish of the family Gobiesocidae, having a flattened elongated body with a sucking disc beneath the head for clinging to rocks, etc

"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

Etymology

Origin of clingfish

First recorded in 1890–95; cling ¹ + 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.

When the researchers pitted euthanized clingfish against eight manufactured suction cups, the fish held fast to eight materials ranging from glass to the grittiest sandpaper.

From Science Magazine

Scanning electron microscope images showed that the clingfish's suction cup is bordered with filaments similar in size to those on the sticky feet of geckos, according to a paper online today in .

From Science Magazine

The researchers hope that the clingfish's superior suction cup may show the way to artificial devices that can better adhere to rough, wet surfaces.

From Science Magazine

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023