dorsal fin

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noun

the fin or finlike integumentary expansion generally developed on the back of aquatic vertebrates.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

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candypuff

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Origin of dorsal fin

First recorded in 1760–70

Words nearby dorsal fin

Dorpat, dorper, Dorr's Rebellion, dorsad, dorsal, dorsal fin, dorsalis, dorsal lip, dorse, dorser, Dorset

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

How to use dorsal fin in a sentence

It has silvery blue skin and a red dorsal fin that runs the length of its body.
Fishy Mystery: Are Beached Oarfish Trying to Tell Us Something?|Kevin Bailey|October 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A dorsal fin cut the surface close by, there was a little flurry, and the pirate disappeared.
The Argus Pheasant|John Charles Beecham
The back, dorsal fin and tail are generally well covered with dark brownish black spots.
Game Birds and Game Fishes of the Pacific Coast|Harry Thom Payne
Dorsal fin double, the first half having ten spines and the latter twenty-one or twenty-two soft rays.
Game Birds and Game Fishes of the Pacific Coast|Harry Thom Payne

The unpaired dorsal fin develops as a continuous thickening, which then grows up into a projecting fold of columnar cells.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1|Francis Maitland Balfour
The dorsal fin runs along the whole length of the back, and each pelvic has one spine and two soft rays.
The Sea Shore|William S. Furneaux

British Dictionary definitions for dorsal fin

dorsal fin

noun

any unpaired median fin on the backs of fishes and some other aquatic vertebrates: maintains balance during locomotion

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