sheepshead

American  

[sheeps-hed] / ˈʃipsˌhɛd /

noun

sheepshead, plural sheepsheads plural

1. a deep-bodied, black-banded food fish, Archosargus probatocephalus, living along the Atlantic coast of the United States, chiefly around southwest Florida, and southward to Brazil.

2. a freshwater fish, the drum Aplodinotus grunniens, found throughout the eastern half of the United States and southward to Guatemala.

3. sheephead.

4. Also called schafskopf.  Cards. an earlier and simpler form of skat.

5. Obsolete. a foolish or stupid person.

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sheepshead British  

/ ˈʃiːpsˌhɛd /

noun

1. any of several sparid fishes with strong crushing teeth, esp Archosargus rhomboidalis, of the American Atlantic, which is marked with dark bands

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sheepshead
  plural
• sheepsheads
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sheepshead

First recorded in 1535–45; sheep + 's ¹ + head

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sheepshead sheepsheads

Some fish species such as the Asian sheepshead wrasse take this one step further and change sex during their lifetime.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 14, 2022

Evans said he hopes some enterprising researchers will take a closer look in the mouth of the sheepshead fish.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 5, 2021

It was identified as a sheepshead fish, which has several rows of molars for crushing prey.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2021

The fish has been identified as a sheepshead and according to experts, it’s perfectly normal for them to have teeth like this.

From Fox News ● Aug. 5, 2021

“We released the bluefish, but Macon is cleaning the sheepshead down at the pier.”

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Within a few hours all Europe knew the details of the latest half-cocked attempt of an Austrian Nazi band to seize power, and disgusted German Nazis were again calling their southern brethren stupid sheepsheads.

From Time Magazine Archive

In August, 1768, he "hauled the Sein for sheepsheads" off Hollis Marsh in Westmoreland County.

From The Stronghold A Story of Historic Northern Neck of Virginia and Its People by Haynie, Miriam

But they were mostly memories of sheepsheads and flanneled bathers and 'tis not for these that the poet gazes into the emerald depths whence the pearly scum, like tears of mermaids—Ah!

From Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 14, July 2, 1870 by Various