lionfish
Americannoun
plural
lionfishes,plural
lionfish-
a brightly striped scorpionfish of the genus Pterois, especially P. volitans, of the Indo-Pacific region, having long, flamboyant, venomous spiny fins.
-
an Atlantic scorpionfish, Scorpaena grandicornis.
noun
Etymology
Origin of lionfish
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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.
Higher temperatures in the Adriatic Sea are encouraging invasive species such as the poisonous lionfish, while also causing further stress on alpine glaciers that are already shrinking at record rates.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2025
They turn their noses up at baited lines, so the next best option is spearfishing with scuba gear, which means one lionfish at a time.
From National Geographic • Jan. 29, 2024
Once confined to Indo-Pacific waters, lionfish first appeared in the Atlantic in the mid-eighties.
From National Geographic • Jan. 29, 2024
In our southernmost state, lionfish wreak havoc on the food supply of native fish like grouper and snapper and their overconsumption of herbivorous fish results in damage to the reefs that line the Florida coast.
From Salon • Aug. 14, 2023
"In many cases, restaurants are scared to pay the divers a premium for the lionfish because they may not sell," Alex said.
From Salon • Aug. 14, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
