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swordfish |
3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Swordfish \Sword"fish`\, n. 1. (Zo["o]l.) a A very large oceanic fish ({Xiphias gladius}), the only representative of the family {Xiphiid[ae]}. It is highly valued as a food fish. The bones of the upper jaw are consolidated, and form a long, rigid, swordlike beak; the dorsal fin is high and without distinct spines; the ventral fins are absent. The adult is destitute of teeth. It becomes sixteen feet or more long. b The gar pike. c The cutlass fish. 2. (Astron.) A southern constellation. See {Dorado}, 1. {Swordfish sucker} (Zo["o]l.), a remora ({Remora brachyptera}) which attaches itself to the swordfish. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Cutlass \Cut"lass\ (k[u^]t"las), n.; pl {Cutlasses} (-[e^]z). [F. coutelas (cf. It coltellaccio), augm. fr L. cultellus a small knife, dim. of culter knife. See {Colter}, and cf {Curtal ax}.] A short, heavy, curving sword, used in the navy. See {Curtal ax}. {Cutlass fish}, (Zo["o]l.), a peculiar, long, thin, marine fish ({Trichiurus lepturus}) of the southern United States and West Indies; -- called also {saber fish}, {silver eel}, and improperly, {swordfish}. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: swordfish n 1: flesh of swordfish usually served as steaks 2: large toothless marine food fish with a long swordlike upper jaw; not completely cold-blooded i.e. they are able to warm their brains and eyes: worldwide in warm waters but feed on cold ocean floor coming to surface at night [syn: {Xiphias gladius}]
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