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doctorfish

American

[dok-ter-fish] / ˈdɒk tərˌfɪʃ /

noun

a surgeonfish, especially Acanthurus chirurgus, of the West Indies, having a bluish body and black tail.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

Etymology

Origin of doctorfish

First recorded in 1825–35; so named from the knifelike rays on its tail

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.

Rick watched a pair of brown doctorfish about eight inches long swim by below, then his attention was attracted by a brilliant red squirrelfish peering out of a cleft.

From The Wailing Octopus by Goodwin, Harold L. (Harold Leland)

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.