Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
family Squalidae

family Squalidae

9.4
A group of small sharks that have a spine in each back fin
  • noun
  • Specialized
: familia Squalidae
  • Unlike other shark families, members of the family Squalidae have a distinct spine in both dorsal fins.

Examples

  • The family Squalidae includes several species of small, spiny dogfish found in oceans worldwide.

  • Researchers are studying the reproductive habits of sharks within the family Squalidae.

  • The family Squalidae includes various species of dogfish.

  • Many scientists study the family Squalidae for their unique adaptations.

  • Researchers are studying the reproductive habits of sharks within the family Squalidae.

  • The family Squalidae includes several species of small, spiny dogfish found in oceans worldwide.

  • Unlike other shark families, members of the family Squalidae have a distinct spine in both dorsal fins.

Synonyms

Squalidae
vsfamily Squalidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of small sharks that have a sharp spine on each top fin

is identical in meaning but uses a slightly different phrasing

Surface Forms

family Squalidae singular
families Squalidae plural

Morphology

family + Squalidae

This is a straightforward taxonomic label: combining 'family' (a scientific grouping) with the proper name 'Squalidae' yields 'the taxonomic family called Squalidae.' There is no idiomatic or metaphorical shift and the construction is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will understand the meaning.

Etymology

The noun family Squalidae comes from the Latin word squalus, meaning 'shark', and it names a group of small, spiny dogfish. These fish have a sharp spine in each of their two back fins, so the name now refers to this family of small, spiny sharks.