sculpin
Americannoun
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sculpin,
plural
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sculpins
plural
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any small, freshwater fish of the genus Cottus, of the family Cottidae, having a large head with one or more spines on each side; bullhead.
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any of numerous marine fishes of the same family.
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(in California) a common scorpionfish, Scorpaena guttata.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sculpin
First recorded in 1665–75; origin uncertain
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In an emotional ceremony at a conference of several Alaska Native nations, the replica sculpin hat was dedicated by both of its linked clans and ceremonially imbued with spirit.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 29, 2022
“Many people don’t realize how amazing and beautiful our local marine life is, and with our smaller tanks it’s frequently easier to get eye to eye with a grunt sculpin or decorated warbonnet.”
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2021
“Maybe a little ahead of his time. The Shenk sculpin and LeTort cricket? They’re go-to flies.”
From Washington Times ● Mar. 5, 2016
Its removal restored a habitat for American eel, brook trout, brown trout, slimy sculpin, and sea lamprey.
From The Verge ● Jan. 28, 2016
Earl Wakefield caught a sculpin with two heads and sold it to the museum for eight dollars.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
Affected species include the brown and rainbow trout, mountain whitefish and sculpins that are a food source for the larger fish.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 20, 2021
In the algae-filled ponds of the New Delta East—land created by the undammed Elwha—we netted hundreds of knuckle-size sculpins, sticklebacks, snails, and baby flounder, along with lots of perfectly round beaver poop.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 26, 2016
Two poisonings have also hurt the fish population and trout food sources, including sculpins and other marine wildlife trout eat.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 5, 2016
Betty got into the shade of the wharf and sat there looking down at the flounders and sculpins in the clear water, and at the dripping green sea-weeds on the piles of the wharf.
From Betty Leicester A Story For Girls by Sarah Orne Jewett
The dog happened to be down at the shore, forlornly searching for sculpins and caplin.
From Grenfell: Knight-Errant of the North by Fullerton Waldo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
