weever

American  

[wee-ver] / ˈwi vər /

noun

1. either of two small, European, marine fishes of the genus Trachinus, T. draco greater weever or T. vipera lesser weever, having highly poisonous dorsal spines.

2. any fish of the same family, Trachinidae.

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weever British  

/ ˈwiːvə /

noun

1. any small marine percoid fish of the family Trachinidae, such as Trachinus vipera of European waters, having venomous spines around the gills and the dorsal fin

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Etymology

Origin of weever

1615–25; perhaps continuing Middle English *wever, Old English wifer arrow (cognate with Old Norse vifr sword); modern meaning by association with obsolete wiver viper; see wyvern

Example Sentences

The lesser weever, Trachinus draco; also called sea-stranger.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir

Fishes having the ventral fins placed before the pectoral; as the dragonet, weever, cod, haddock, and coal-fish.

From Lives of Eminent Zoologists, from Aristotle to Linnæus with Introductory remarks on the Study of Natural History by MacGillivray, William