remora

[rem-er-uh]

noun

1. 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.

2. Archaic.,  an obstacle, hindrance, or obstruction.

remora

/ ˈrɛmərə /

noun

1. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of remora¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of remora¹

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

Example Sentences

That starkness gives the movie the in-the-moment immediacy of a nature doc about a shark and a swarm of remoras.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A remora who eats scraps of food dropped by Trump, is protected by Trump and gets a free ride from Trump.

Read more on Salon

Most rays "weren't that bothered" by the cameras Pelletier says, but three individuals breached—jumping clear of the water—potentially an attempt to dislodge the device, like an irritating remora.

Read more on National Geographic

That’s the idea behind a new robot, inspired by remoras—fish that hitchhike onto other animals using an adhesive disk on top of their head.

Read more on Science Magazine

He said when Depp was inebriated, he would also “insult his fans” and call them “remoras,” also known as suckerfish.

Read more on Washington Post