Dictionary.com

thornback

[ thawrn-bak ]
/ ˈθɔrnˌbæk /

noun

a skate, Raja clavata, of European waters, having short spines on the back and tail.
a California ray, Platyrhinoidis triseriatus, belonging to the guitarfish group.

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Origin of thornback

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at thorn, back1

Words nearby thornback

thorium, thorium dioxide, thorium series, thorn, thorn apple, thornback, thornbill, thornbush, Thorndike, Thornhill, thorn in one's flesh
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for thornback

British Dictionary definitions for thornback

thornback
/ (ˈθɔːnˌbæk) /

noun

a European ray, Raja clavata, having a row of spines along the back and tail
a similar fish, Platyrhinoidis triseriata, of the Pacific Ocean
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