alligatorfish

[ al-i-gey-ter-fish ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) al·li·ga·tor·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) al·li·ga·tor·fish·es.

1. a slender marine fish, Aspidophoroides monopterygius, of Atlantic seas, having overlapping plates covering the body.
2. any of several related fishes of the family Agonidae.

Word History and Origins

Origin of alligatorfish¹

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75; alligator + fish

Example Sentences

When Mexican voters go to the polls on 1 July to pick a new president, they will able to choose between candidates including Richie Rich, Alligatorfish, and the Untamed One thanks to a ruling by the country’s electoral institute.

From The Guardian

But he is equally well-known as “El Peje” for pejelegarto, a fish from his native Tabasco state, whose name translates literally as Alligatorfish.

From The Guardian