bony fish

noun

: any of a major taxon (class Osteichthyes or superclass Teleostomi) comprising fishes (such as sturgeons, eels, mackerels, and sunfish) with a bony rather than a cartilaginous skeleton

called also teleost

compare cartilaginous fish, jawless fish

Examples of bony fish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Atlantic cownose rays possess tile-like teeth ideal for crushing crustaceans, mollusks, small invertebrates, and bony fish. Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024 Shortfin makos have been known to hunt small sharks, porpoises, sea turtles, seabirds, bony fish and cephalopods. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 6 Sep. 2024 Perhaps ancestral fishes that could evolve into the bony fishes. Byerik Stokstad, science.org, 31 July 2024 The name certainly fits: the giant oarfish is considered the longest bony fish in the world; lengths in the 20- and 30-foot range are not at all unheard of. Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 18 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for bony fish 

Word History

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bony fish was in 1673

Dictionary Entries Near bony fish

Cite this Entry

“Bony fish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bony%20fish. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

bony fish

noun
: any of a class of fishes (as eels, mackerels, and trout) with bony rather than cartilaginous skeletons

More from Merriam-Webster on bony fish

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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