stickleback

noun

stick·le·back | \ ˈsti-kəl-ˌbak

How to pronounce stickleback (audio)

\

plural sticklebacks also stickleback

Definition of stickleback

: any of a family (Gasterosteidae) of small scaleless bony fishes having two or more free spines in front of the dorsal fin and including marine, anadromous, and freshwater forms

Examples of stickleback in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One poor fellow is turned into an involuntary stickleback. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, "“Alien: Covenant” and the Too-Many-Monsters Problem," 29 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stickleback.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of stickleback was in the 15th century

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stickleback

noun

stick·le·back | \ ˈsti-kəl-ˌbak

\

Kids Definition of stickleback

: a small scaleless fish with sharp spines on its back

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