parrotfish

noun

par·​rot·​fish ˈper-ət-ˌfish How to pronounce parrotfish (audio)
ˈpa-rət-
variants or parrot fish
: any of a family (Scaridae) of usually brightly colored chiefly tropical marine fishes that have the teeth in each jaw fused into a cutting plate resembling a beak

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web There are coral reefs, too, so bring your snorkel and mask and be prepared to spot turtles and parrotfish. Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2023 That’s where the parrotfish come in. Hannah Weinberger, Outside Online, 8 July 2014 Sounds like a lot of effort – essentially, making your own sleeping bag every night – but the cocoon protects the parrotfish not just from predators, but from parasites. Michael Heithaus, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2022 Ranging from about one foot to four feet in length, there are approximately 80 different species of parrotfish in an array of colors, scattered across coral reefs around the world. Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2022 Snorkeling with parrotfish around the lagoon, sinking my toes into the soft sand and swimming in my private infinity pool was the perfect daily routine to dip my feet back into travel. Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 8 Aug. 2021 The damage goes beyond the decimation of biodiversity to the habitat itself; lionfish victims include baby parrotfish, whose mature counterparts would otherwise feed on the algae that, unchecked, can smother coral reefs. Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2020 New research suggests that protecting the parrotfish could also help save coral populations, which have declined precipitously over the past four decades. Hannah Weinberger, Outside Online, 8 July 2014 First, the parrotfish has been severely overfished. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 8 June 2012 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parrotfish.' 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

1712, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of parrotfish was in 1712

Dictionary Entries Near parrotfish

Cite this Entry

“Parrotfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parrotfish. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

parrot fish

noun
: any of various sea fishes that are related to the perches and have the teeth united into a cutting plate resembling a beak
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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