barbel
1
9.5
A short thin whisker near the mouth of some fish that helps them find food
- noun
- /ˈbɑːrbəl/
- Specialized
:
barbilla
- You can identify the species by examining the barbels near its mouth.
- barbels around their mouths
Examples
-
These fish have barbels that help them navigate through muddy riverbeds.
-
Ever catch a barbel in the Euphrates?
-
The catfish uses its barbels to sense food in dark waters.
Synonyms
feeler
vsbarbel
3
5.3
A long thin part of an animal used to touch and sense things
is similar but specific to certain fish near the mouth
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word barbel comes from the Latin root barba meaning 'beard' and from barbula meaning 'little beard'. A helpful image is that these whisker-like feelers near a fish's mouth look like a tiny beard, which is why a barbel is the whisker by a fish's mouth.