SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus

Sparidae

plural noun
Save Word
Spar·​i·​dae | \ -rəˌdē \

Definition of Sparidae

: a large and widely distributed family of deep-bodied marine percoid fishes including the porgies, scups, and sheepsheads that are related to the grunts and snappers but have some of the teeth along the sides of the jaw transformed into large blunt molars — see sea bream

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for Sparidae

New Latin, from Sparus, type genus + -idae

Learn More About Sparidae

Dictionary Entries Near Sparidae

sparid

Sparidae

sparing

See More Nearby Entries 

Statistics for Sparidae

Cite this Entry

“Sparidae.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Sparidae. Accessed 15 Aug. 2022.

Style: MLA
MLACheck Mark Icon ChicagoCheck Mark Icon APACheck Mark Icon Merriam-WebsterCheck Mark Icon

WORD OF THE DAY

dilatory

Listen to the pronunciation of dilatory

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

The Great British Vocabulary Quiz

  • union jack speech bubble
  • Named after Sir Robert Peel, what are British police called?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games