Batrachoids

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A member of a family of fishes related to toadfishes characterized by a stout body and a large head; a type of marine fish often found on the sea bottom; a group of fishes known for their distinctive appearance and habitat
2. Any fish belonging to a group similar to toadfish with a broad head and robust form; a marine species commonly inhabiting coastal or seabed regions; a classification of benthic fishes recognized by particular anatomical features
3. A kind of benthic fish related to toadfishes, notable for a bulky body and wide skull; belongs to a family of marine fishes adapted to bottom life; a taxonomic grouping of fishes distinguished by specific morphological traits

Etymology: "Batrachoids" is the plural of "batrachoid," a noun for any fish in the toadfish family and its close relatives. Its roots lie in Greek: "batrachos" means "frog," and "-oides" means "resembling," so the word literally describes things that look like frogs. The toadfish earns that comparison from its broad, flattened head and wide mouth. The word was formed from the Latin-style scientific name "Batrachoides," which was built on the same Greek stem as "batrachian," the term for frogs and toads. The ending "-oid," meaning "like" or "resembling," was then added. The word has been shortened slightly in the process, a shift linguists call haplology, in which one repeated sound is dropped to ease pronunciation.

Synonyms: frog-like fishes, toadfish