remora

[ rem-er-uh ]

noun

any of several fishes of the family Echeneididae, having on the top of the head a sucking disk by which they can attach themselves to sharks, turtles, ships, and other moving objects.
Archaic. an obstacle, hindrance, or obstruction.

Origin of remora

1560–70; <Latin: literally, delay, hindrance, derivative of remorārī to linger, delay, equivalent to re-re- + morārī to delay

Words Nearby remora

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use remora in a sentence

The recovery of debris and bodies was made by a UAV called the remora III, operated by a company called Phoenix International.
Awful but True: Pings Were Not From Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 | Clive Irving | May 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The recovery of the debris and bodies was made by another vehicle, the remora III, operated by Phoenix International.
Why Is Malaysia Hiding Its Report on MH370? | Clive Irving | April 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
If this first worke bee throughly and throughoutly dispatched as I hope it is, the great remora is removed.
The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America | Theodore de la Guard
Pliny assures us that the remora was used in the preparation of a philtre capable of extinguishing the flames of love.
Animal Parasites and Messmates | P. J. Van Beneden
The remora is easily removed from its attachment by a quick, sliding motion, but resists a direct pull to a remarkable degree.
Favorite Fish and Fishing | James Alexander Henshall

The strain on the remora, however, was so demoralizing to its physical economy that I was fain to kill it.
Favorite Fish and Fishing | James Alexander Henshall
There they were in a moment, among the old knights whom, if you remember, the remora had frozen into stone.
Prince Prigio | Andrew Lang

British Dictionary definitions for remora

remora

/ (ˈrɛmərə) /

noun

any of the marine spiny-finned fishes constituting the family Echeneidae . They have a flattened elongated body and attach themselves to larger fish, rocks, etc, by a sucking disc on the top of the head

Origin of remora

C16: from Latin, from re- + mora delay; an allusion to its alleged habit of delaying ships

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

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