Dictionary.com

quillback

[ kwil-bak ]
/ ˈkwɪlˌbæk /
Save This Word!

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.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Also called quillback carpsucker.

Origin of quillback

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; quill + back1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
FEEDBACK