hagfish

American  

[hag-fish] / ˈhægˌfɪʃ /

noun

hagfishes plural

1. any eellike, marine cyclostome of the order Myxiniformes, having undeveloped eyes, a barbel-rimmed, circular mouth, and horny teeth for boring into the flesh of fishes to feed on their interior parts.

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hagfish British  

/ ˈhæɡˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. Often shortened to: hag.  any eel-like marine cyclostome vertebrate of the family Myxinidae, having a round sucking mouth and feeding on the tissues of other animals and on dead organic material

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Etymology

Origin of hagfish

First recorded in 1605–15; hag ¹ + fish

Example Sentences

A shark trying to take a bite of a hagfish will find itself suddenly unable to breathe, its gills clogged with the slime.

From New York Times • Jan. 16, 2024

"The cell clusters we observed are likely lamprey-specific features, as they are not recognizable in the head mesoderm of both hagfish and shark embryos," explains Dr. Onai.

From Science Daily • Jan. 10, 2024

The whale’s stomach contained six hagfish traps, seven types of fishing net, two types of plastic bags, a light protector, fishing line and a float from a net.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 2, 2023

They’ve fished for black cod, rockfish, hagfish and “dabbled in tuna.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 1, 2021

The skeleton of a hagfish is composed of cartilage, which includes a cartilaginous notochord that runs the length of the body.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015