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killifish

American

[kil-ee-fish] / ˈkɪl iˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

killifish,

plural

killifishes

any of several small, oviparous cyprinodont fishes, especially of the genus Fundulus, found in salt, brackish, and fresh waters.
any of several livebearers.

killifish British

/ ˈkɪlɪˌfɪʃ /

noun

any of various chiefly American minnow-like cyprinodont fishes of the genus Fundulus and related genera, of fresh and brackish waters: used as aquarium fishes, to control mosquitoes, and as anglers' bait

"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 killifish

1805–15, perhaps kill ² + -i- (unexplained) + 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.

The Brunet lab has played a leading role in establishing the killifish as a model organism.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

"Seeing these effects emerge so clearly in a rapid-aging model like our killifish was striking," Paulmann said.

From Science Daily • Jan. 30, 2026

It is also an important global center of seasonal killifish diversity.

From Science Daily • Dec. 25, 2025

Scientists have confirmed the rediscovery of Moema claudiae, a rare seasonal killifish species in Bolivia that had been considered possibly extinct.

From Science Daily • Dec. 25, 2025

The plains killifish was collected by me only at Station 42-S.

From Fishes of the Big Blue River Basin, Kansas by Minckley, W. L.

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