filefish

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈfaɪlˌfɪʃ/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(fīl′fish′)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
file•fish  (fīl′fish′),USA pronunciation n., pl. (esp. collectively) -fish,  (esp. referring to two or more kinds or species) -fish•es. 
  1. Fishany of several flattened marine fishes of the family Monacanthidae, having an elongated head with a small mouth and small, spiny scales.
  2. Fisha triggerfish.
  • file2 + fish 1765–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
filefish /ˈfaɪlˌfɪʃ/ n ( pl -fish, -fishes)
  1. any tropical triggerfish, such as Alutera scripta, having a narrow compressed body and a very long dorsal spine
Etymology: 18th Century: referring to its file-like scales
'filefish' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
foolfish - leatherfish - plectognath

Forum discussions with the word(s) "filefish" in the title:


Look up "filefish" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "filefish" at dictionary.com
  • Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

In other languages: Spanish | French | Italian | Portuguese | Romanian | German | Dutch | Swedish | Russian | Polish | Czech | Greek | Turkish | Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Arabic

Advertisements
Advertisements
Report an inappropriate ad.
WordReference.com
WORD OF THE DAY
GET THE DAILY EMAIL!

Become a WordReference Supporter to view the site ad-free.