toadfish
noun
toad·fish
ˈtōd-ˌfish 
: any of a family (Batrachoididae) of chiefly marine bony fishes having a broad flat head, a wide mouth, and usually scaleless slimy skin and producing sounds (such as grunts) by means of a swim bladder
Examples of toadfish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, the slightly larger (and admittedly, uglier) oyster toadfish soared on NASA’s Space Shuttle Columbia in the late 1990s, so that scientists could watch their brains readjust to Earth’s gravity upon their return.
—
Briley Lewis, Popular Science, 5 June 2024
Her favorite-sounding fish is the Gulf toadfish.
—Washington Post, 10 May 2022
In this lab image, the toadfish's twin bladders are visible in the middle of its body.
—Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 12 May 2011
Here’s an audio file of an oyster toadfish having its say.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2022
The cries of two closely related toadfish species with single swim bladders were also decidedly linear, the group found, confirming the finding.
—Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 12 May 2011
My most recent addition to the list was the very common oyster toadfish that so many bottom fishermen curse and complain about.
—Jim Gronaw, Baltimore Sun, 18 Sep. 2022
Whales sing, toadfish hum, cod grunt, and bearded seals trill.
—Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 13 June 2022
The toadfish are then incinerated in special furnaces, with around 50 tons burned each year.
—Nick Squires, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Oct. 2021
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Briley Lewis, Popular Science, 5 June 2024
Her favorite-sounding fish is the Gulf toadfish.
—Washington Post, 10 May 2022
In this lab image, the toadfish's twin bladders are visible in the middle of its body.
—Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 12 May 2011
Here’s an audio file of an oyster toadfish having its say.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2022
The cries of two closely related toadfish species with single swim bladders were also decidedly linear, the group found, confirming the finding.
—Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 12 May 2011
My most recent addition to the list was the very common oyster toadfish that so many bottom fishermen curse and complain about.
—Jim Gronaw, Baltimore Sun, 18 Sep. 2022
Whales sing, toadfish hum, cod grunt, and bearded seals trill.
—Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 13 June 2022
The toadfish are then incinerated in special furnaces, with around 50 tons burned each year.
—Nick Squires, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Oct. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Toadfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toadfish. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share