cuttlefish

[ kuht-l-fish ]

noun

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

1. any of several cephalopods, especially of the genus Sepia, having eight arms with suckers and two tentacles, and ejecting a black, inklike fluid when in danger.

cuttlefish

/ ˈkʌtəlˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any cephalopod mollusc of the genus Sepia and related genera, which occur near the bottom of inshore waters and have a broad flattened body: order Decapoda (decapods) Sometimes shortened tocuttle See also squid 1

Word History and Origins

Origin of cuttlefish¹

1400–50; late Middle English codel, Old English cudele cuttlefish + fish

Example Sentences

A government review led by Prof Birch in 2021 assessed 300 scientific studies on the sentience of decapods and Cephalopods, which include octopus, squid, and cuttlefish.

From BBC

"In the end, we opted to feature those animals that allowed us to highlight the incredible diversity of the natural world, and for which we could tell memorable and visually stunning sequences, backed up by published science. Flamingos, penguins, lions are all very charismatic, so they went in, but we also wanted to feature some of the lesser-known and loved species like cuttlefish, ants and slugs."

From Salon

As evening descends, head to Mareluna on the terrace of the castle overlooking the bay for Mediterranean food and wine with dishes like cuttlefish tagliatelle with avocado and smoked herring eggs.

From New York Times

Octopuses, together with squid and cuttlefish, belong to a group of coleoid cephalopods consisting of several hundreds of species that are characterized by highly diversified lifestyles, body structure and adaptations to their environment.

From Science Daily

In 1778, British explorer Capt. James Cook was welcomed when he anchored off the Hawaiian islands by locals eager to trade cuttlefish, breadfruit and pigs for nails and iron tools.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• abalone
• clam
• snail