trunkfish

[ truhngk-fish ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) trunk·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) trunk·fish·es.

1. any plectognath fish of the family Ostraciontidae, of warm seas, having a boxlike body encased in bony, polygonal plates.

trunkfish

/ ˈtrʌŋkˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any tropical plectognath fish of the family Ostraciidae , having the body encased in bony plates with openings for the fins, eyes, mouth, etc Also calledboxfishcowfish

Word History and Origins

Origin of trunkfish¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; trunk + fish

Example Sentences

Spiny lobsters stuffed with dasheen, a root vegetable similar to taro; braised conch with onions, peppers and garlic; and my personal favorite, stuffed trunkfish.

From Washington Post

I'll mention chiefly some trunkfish unique to the Red Sea, the sea of the East Indies, and that part of the ocean washing the coasts of equinoctial America.

From Project Gutenberg