prickleback

[ prik-uh l-bak ]

/ ˈprɪk əlˌbæk /

noun

any of several blennioid fishes of the family Stichaeidae, usually inhabiting cold waters, having spiny rays in the dorsal fin.

Nearby words

pricket, pricking, prickle, prickle cell, prickle cell layer, prickleback, prickly, prickly ash, prickly heat, prickly pear, prickly poppy

Origin of prickleback

First recorded in 1740–50; prickle + back¹

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