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devilfish

[dev-uh l-fish]
See more synonyms for devilfish on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural (especially collectively) dev·il·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) dev·il·fish·es.
  1. manta.
  2. octopus.
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Origin of devilfish

First recorded in 1700–10; devil + fish
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for devilfish

Historical Examples

  • Skilled in deep-sea lore as he was, he knew the dark fury which had swooped down upon the devilfish.

    The Haunters of the Silences

    Charles G. D. Roberts

  • Tom crouched over his pretended work like a devilfish devouring its prey.

  • Verdi seized upon knowledge as a devilfish absorbs its prey—he learned in the mass.

  • The mountain lion rivals the shark, the devilfish, and the grizzly in being the cause of ferocious tales.

  • They ain't no bloodhound on your track, but a ugly octopus of a devilfish is gittin' its arms out after you.

    The Price of the Prairie

    Margaret Hill McCarter

British Dictionary definitions for devilfish

devilfish

noun plural -fish or -fishes
  1. Also called: devil ray another name for manta (def. 1)
  2. another name for octopus
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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