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fortescue

noun
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for·​tes·​cue | \ ˈfȯrtəˌskyü \
variants: or less commonly fortescure \ -​yu̇r \ or fortesque \ -​yü \
plural -s

Definition of fortescue

: an Australian scorpion fish (Centropogon australis) having along the back venomous erectile spines capable of inflicting painful wounds

— called also forty-skewer, scorpion

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History and Etymology for fortescue

alteration (influenced by the proper name Fortescue) of forty-skewer

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Cite this Entry

“Fortescue.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fortescue. Accessed 16 December 2019.

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