toadfish

noun

toad·​fish ˈtōd-ˌfish How to pronounce toadfish (audio)
: 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 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 The research began when Dr. Chagnaud, who studies the vibrating vocalizations of toadfish, wanted to compare the fish to rattlesnakes, which use similar muscles to rattle their tails. New York Times, 19 Aug. 2021

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

1704, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toadfish was in 1704

Dictionary Entries Near toadfish

Cite this Entry

“Toadfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toadfish. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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