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Glite Dictionary
🐋 A small whale 🐠 A food fish 🐟 A female salmon
blackfish

blackfish

1 9.1
A small dark whale that swims in groups led by a large male
  • noun
  • /ˈblækˌfɪʃ/
  • US
translation icon : ballena piloto
  • The blackfish swam gracefully in the ocean.
  • Blackfish, a documentary
  • premiere of Blackfish
  • Blackfish, a controversial film

Examples

  • During the expedition, several blackfish were spotted swimming close together.

  • Marine biologists observed the leading male blackfish guiding the rest of the school.

  • The pod of blackfish surfaced near the shore, drawing the attention of local fishermen.

  • Many fishermen target blackfish during the fall season.

  • The fishermen celebrated their catch of blackfish after a long day at sea.

  • During our trip to the coast, we spotted a pod of blackfish swimming close to the shore.

  • Many fishing enthusiasts enjoy targeting blackfish because of their challenging nature and delicious taste.

Synonyms

pilot whale
vsblackfish
3 5.5

A small dark sea animal that lives in groups led by the largest male

is specific to coastal US waters rather than being mainly oceanwide
black whale
vsblackfish
  • US
7.4

A small dark whale near the US Atlantic coast whose largest male leads the group

is the alternate name used instead of that other label
Globicephala melaena
vsblackfish
  • Specialized
9.9

A small dark whale that lives in groups along the Atlantic coast and is often led by a large male

is the common name rather than the formal species label
common blackfish
vsblackfish
  • US
8.5

A small dark whale that lives off the Atlantic coast in groups led by a large male

is defined as found along the Atlantic coast rather than off it

Compounds

common blackfish
  • US
8.5

A small dark whale that lives off the Atlantic coast in groups led by a large male

Surface Forms

blackfish singular
blackfishes plural

Morphology

blackfish = black + fish (opaque) = black + fish

Although formed from 'black' + 'fish', this sense denotes certain small whales (which are not fish), so the meaning is not derivable from the literal components and is a conventional name.

Etymology

Blackfish also comes from black + fish, a name sailors used for small dark whales that looked like big fish in the sea. So blackfish can mean a small dark whale whose largest male often leads the group.