parrotfish

[par-uh t-fish]

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

any of various chiefly tropical marine fishes, especially of the family Scaridae: so called because of their brilliant coloring and the shape of their jaws.

Origin of parrotfish

First recorded in 1705–15; parrot + fish

Also called pollyfish.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for parrot-fish

Historical Examples of parrot-fish

Among them is the curious and handsome pirarara, or parrot-fish.
The Western World
W.H.G. Kingston
The most curious of these is the parrot-fish, whose head is shaped like the beak of the parrot, and whose color is light green.
Memoirs of Service Afloat, During the War Between the States
Raphael Semmes
They employ it as they do the parrot-fish, to give a different colour to the plumage of their parrots.
The Western World
W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for parrot-fish

parrotfish

noun plural -fish or -fishes

any brightly coloured tropical marine percoid fish of the family Scaridae, having parrot-like jaws

Australian any of various brightly coloured marine fish of the family Labridae

any of various similar fishes

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

Word Origin and History for parrot-fish

1712, from parrot (n.) + fish (n.).