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

Examples of parrotfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web When moving through a crowd of darting and preening Italians, her presence is anomalous — a sea anemone amid parrotfish. Molly Young, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024 Grunts, parrotfish, groupers, snappers and jacks were particularly popular seafood species. Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Jan. 2024 In other words, conserving reefs isn’t just about fixing marine problems, like reducing overfishing to protect critical ecosystem operators like parrotfish. WIRED, 9 Aug. 2023 Many species were affected, including cardinalfish, parrotfish, damselfish, and others. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2019 When the waters south of Miami turned Jacuzzi hot this summer, topping out at 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit in Manatee Bay, scientists agonized over the impact on parrotfish, grunts, spiny lobsters and coral reefs. David Ewing Duncan, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2023 When presented with the parrotfish model, however, the damselfish swam up to inspect it but otherwise did not react to its presence. Annie Roth, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2023 The parrotfish is a critical player in the reef ecosystem, keeping the growth of algae in check. WIRED, 9 Aug. 2023 In Caribbean coral reefs, researchers have observed the creatures hiding alongside parrotfish, which are herbivores and don’t pose a threat to prey species. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Aug. 2023

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 Mar. 2024.

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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