PRICKLEBACK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does prickleback mean? 

• PRICKLEBACK (noun)
  The noun PRICKLEBACK has 2 senses:

1. small elongate fishes of shallow northern seas; a long dorsal fin consists entirely of spines

2. small (2-4 inches) pugnacious mostly scaleless spiny-backed fishes of northern fresh and littoral waters having elaborate courtship; subjects of much research

  Familiarity information: PRICKLEBACK used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRICKLEBACK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Small elongate fishes of shallow northern seas; a long dorsal fin consists entirely of spines

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("prickleback" is a kind of...):

blennioid; blennioid fish (elongated mostly scaleless marine fishes with large pectoral fins and reduced pelvic fins)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "prickleback"):

Lumpenus lumpretaeformis; snakeblenny (found in Arctic and northern Atlantic waters)

eelblenny (eellike fishes found in subarctic coastal waters)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Small (2-4 inches) pugnacious mostly scaleless spiny-backed fishes of northern fresh and littoral waters having elaborate courtship; subjects of much research

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

prickleback; stickleback

Hypernyms ("prickleback" is a kind of...):

acanthopterygian; spiny-finned fish (a teleost fish with fins that are supported by sharp inflexible rays)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "prickleback"):

Gasterosteus aculeatus; three-spined stickleback (of rivers and coastal regions)

Gasterosteus pungitius; ten-spined stickleback (confined to rivers)

Holonyms ("prickleback" is a member of...):

family Gasterosteidae; Gasterosteidae (sticklebacks)