malacopterygian

American

[mal-uh-kop-tuh-rij-ee-uhn] / ˌmæl əˌkɒp təˈrɪdʒ i ən /

adjective

belonging or pertaining to the Malacopterygii (Malacopteri), a group of soft-finned, teleost fishes.

malacopterygian British

/ ˌmæləˌkɒptəˈrɪdʒɪən /

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to the Malacopterygii, a group of teleost fishes, including herrings and salmon, having soft fin rays

"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

noun

any malacopterygian fish; a soft-finned fish

"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 malacopterygian

1825–35; < New Latin Malacopterygi ( i ) ( malaco- malaco- + -pterygii, plural of -pterygius finned, winged, adj. derivative of Greek pterýgion, diminutive of ptéryx wing, fin) + -an

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.

A little Malacopterygian fish about 4 in. long has recently been discovered in West Africa which has the habits of a fresh-water flying-fish.

From Project Gutenberg

Cause of the Yukon's blackness: it is stuffed, crammed, jammed with malacopterygian teleosteans.

From Time Magazine Archive

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