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thornback

[ thawrn-bak ]

noun

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


thornback

/ ˈθɔːnˌbæk /

noun

  1. a European ray, Raja clavata, having a row of spines along the back and tail
  2. 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


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Word History and Origins

Origin of thornback1

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; thorn, back 1
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Example Sentences

It is these purses, and those of the thornback and the edible skate, that we oftenest pick up on the English coast.

Still more comical and interesting is one of the spider-crabs, which may be called thornback.

It has a little body, but very long legs, so that a big male thornback might cover eighteen inches in the stretch of its legs.

The Thornback is another ugly fellow of this family, having spines on his back and a double row of them down his tail.

It is quite easy to understand why the name of thornback was given to him.

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