angelfish

noun

an·​gel·​fish ˈān-jəl-ˌfish How to pronounce angelfish (audio)
1
: any of several laterally compressed brightly colored bony fishes (family Pomacanthidae) of warm seas
2
: a black and silver laterally compressed South American cichlid fish (Pterophyllum scalare) popular in aquariums

called also scalare

Examples of angelfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web According to Oceana, French angelfish are foragers that eat a variety of invertebrates and plants. CBS News, 5 Sep. 2023 This image provided by the Denver Zoo on Monday, Sept. 4, 2023, shows a CT scan of a French angelfish. CBS News, 5 Sep. 2023 Unfortunately, other outside sources, such as the construction of the local airport in the 1950s, have left some of the reefs severely damaged, infringing on an ecosystem that many underwater dwellers like blue angelfish and barracudas rely on to survive. Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 May 2020 In addition to being cute and mess-free, this woven paper angelfish craft is a great way to introduce the story of Jesus' miraculous catch of fish (John 21). Corinne Sullivan, Woman's Day, 5 May 2022 Take the semicircle angelfish – in 1995, Japanese scientists led by Shigeru Kondo showed that as the three-striped juvenile grows, its original stripes grow further apart until new ones form in the widening gaps. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 7 Sep. 2010 Two flat black-and-yellow-striped angelfish nosily darted around the divers. Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Oct. 2022 This realm – the one full of beau gregory damselfish, sergeant majors, parrot fish, squirrel fish, and queen angelfish darting below us – is her aquatic classroom, a coral nursery site that hosts 3,000 students a year for enrichment programs. Ross Kenneth Urken, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2022 Scrolling below us was a mesmerizing, diaphanous panorama of rainbow parrotfish and blue angelfish darting in and out of the reef. Tom Vanderbilt, Outside Online, 2 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'angelfish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of angelfish was in 1613

Dictionary Entries Near angelfish

Cite this Entry

“Angelfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/angelfish. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

angelfish

noun
an·​gel·​fish ˈān-jəl-ˌfish How to pronounce angelfish (audio)
1
: any of several brightly colored bony fishes that are very thin from side to side and live in warm seas
2
: a similarly thin black and silver South American fish popular in aquariums

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