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Glite Dictionary
blowfish

blowfish

14 7.7
A fish that swells up and has poison that can be deadly
  • noun
  • /ˈbloʊfɪʃ/
translation icon : pez globo
  • While the blowfish can be a delicacy, improper preparation can lead to fatal consequences.
  • poisonous blowfish
  • eating blowfish
  • blowfish poison

Examples

  • In Japan, some people seek out blowfish dishes like fugu, which must be prepared carefully to avoid poisoning.

  • I've eaten poisonous blowfish in Japan.

    Snatched (2017)

  • Who figured out which part of the blowfish is edible and which part will kill you dead?

    Fiction book (2002)

  • You know, in Japan, chefs train for 7 years before they're allowed to serve a poisonous blowfish called fugu.

    Miss Sloane (2016)

  • The area around Shimonoseki is famous for its fugu (blowfish), and Shimonoseki Station's fukumeshi is sold between November and March in a container with the shape and painted face of a blowfish.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The blowfish can inflate its body and contains a toxin that is very dangerous if not handled properly.

Synonyms

puffer
vsblowfish
4 6.9

A marine fish with spines that fills its body to look like a ball and scare predators, sometimes poisonous

highlights a dangerous nerve toxin and occasional eating risk
pufferfish
vsblowfish
1 6.3

A fish that becomes round and is often poisonous

stresses a specific nerve toxin and risky culinary use
balloonfish
vsblowfish
1 8.4

A small sea fish with short spines that inflates its body when threatened

focuses on a dangerous nerve toxin and occasional culinary danger
globefish
vsblowfish
9.8

A sea fish with spines that swells into a round ball and is often poisonous

stresses the specific nerve toxin risk and culinary danger

Surface Forms

blowfish singular
blowfishes plural

Morphology

blowfish = blow + fish (transparent) = blow + fish

The compound literally combines 'blow' and 'fish' to denote a fish that inflates itself, so learners can deduce the meaning from the parts.

Etymology

Blowfish is made of blow ('to blow' or 'to puff up') and fish, because this fish fills its body with water or air and looks like a small balloon. That's why blowfish names the puffer that can inflate quickly and may be dangerous to eat because of its poison.