rainbow darter

noun

1. a stout darter, Etheostoma caeruleum, inhabiting the Great Lakes and Mississippi River drainages, the spawning male of which has the sides marked with oblique blue bars with red interspaces.

Word History and Origins

Origin of rainbow darter¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

One of his most thrilling catches was a rainbow darter in full mating color he netted in a small creek in the city limits of Doniphan.

From Washington Times

So he dons one of gaudy colors and from it takes his name,—the rainbow darter,—for in it he is best known, as it not only attracts the attention of his chosen one, but often also that of the wandering naturalist who happens along the stream.

From Project Gutenberg

Although so abundant and so brilliant in the springtime, the rainbow darter is known to few but naturalists.

From Project Gutenberg