lanternfish

or lan·tern fish

[ lan-tern-fish ]

/ ˈlæn tərnˌfɪʃ /

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noun, plural (especially collectively) lan·tern·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) lan·tern·fish·es.

any of several small, deep-sea fishes of the family Myctophidae, having rows of luminous organs along each side, certain species of which migrate to the surface at night.

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Origin of lanternfish

First recorded in 1745–55; lantern + fish

Words nearby lanternfish

Lansker line, lansquenet, lantana, lantern, lantern clock, lanternfish, lanternfly, lantern gear, lantern jaw, lantern-jawed, lantern pinion

British Dictionary definitions for lanternfish

lantern fish

noun

any small deep-sea teleost fish of the family Myctophidae, having a series of luminescent spots along the body

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