pilotfish

[ pahy-luh t-fish ]

/ ˈpaɪ lətˌfɪʃ /

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

a small, marine fish, Naucrates ductor, often swimming with sharks.

any of various other fishes having similar habits.

Nearby words

pilot study, pilot tape, pilot waters, pilot whale, pilotage, pilotfish, pilothouse, piloti, piloting, pilotless, pilotless aircraft

Origin of pilotfish

First recorded in 1625–35; pilot + fish

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

British Dictionary definitions for pilot fish

pilot fish

noun

a small carangid fish, Naucrates ductor, of tropical and subtropical seas, marked with dark vertical bands: often accompanies sharks and other large fishes

any of various similar or related 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