quillback

[ kwil-bak ]

/ ˈkwɪlˌbæk /

noun, plural quill·backs, (especially collectively) quill·back.

a carpsucker, Carpiodes cyprinus, inhabiting waters in the central and eastern U.S., having one ray of the dorsal fin greatly elongated.

Nearby words

quill, quill driver, quill pen, quillai, quillai bark, quillback, quilled, quiller, quiller-couch, quillet, quillfish

Origin of quillback

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; quill + back¹

Also called quillback carpsucker.

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