teleost

noun

tel·​e·​ost ˈte-lē-ˌäst How to pronounce teleost (audio)
ˈtē-
teleost adjective
teleostean adjective

Examples of teleost in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Tracing origins Past research has demonstrated that the most common form of modern fish (called teleosts) do not use neural crest cells to form their scales. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 18 July 2023 The vast majority of these transfers happened in teleost fish, Gilbert said. Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 30 Mar. 2023 While snakes and spiders make milking large quantities of venom relatively straightforward, extracting enough venom to run experiments with from a tiny teleost is less obvious and proved to be time-consuming. Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 30 Mar. 2017 These two teleosts, or relatives of bony-tongues fish, lived between 89 and 90 million years ago. Rachael Lallensack, Smithsonian, 7 June 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'teleost.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Greek teleios complete, perfect (from telos end) + osteon bone — more at osseous

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of teleost was in 1863

Dictionary Entries Near teleost

Cite this Entry

“Teleost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teleost. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on teleost

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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