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Glite Dictionary
gravid fish

gravid fish

7.9
A female fish carrying eggs inside her body
  • noun
  • /ˈɡrævɪd fɪʃ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : pez grávido
  • A gravid fish often shows a noticeably swollen belly before spawning.

Examples

  • The gravid fish was carefully transferred to a separate tank to protect her eggs.

  • Researchers observed several gravid fish preparing nests in the shallow waters.

  • Look at that gravid fish!

  • The gravid fish swam slowly near the surface.

  • A gravid fish often shows a noticeably swollen belly before spawning.

  • Researchers observed several gravid fish preparing nests in the shallow waters.

  • The gravid fish was carefully transferred to a separate tank to protect her eggs.

Surface Forms

gravid fish singular
gravid fishes plural

Morphology

gravid + fish

The meaning of 'gravid fish' is directly derivable from combining 'gravid' (carrying developing offspring) with 'fish' (a vertebrate animal), so it denotes a fish carrying eggs. This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition following common cross-linguistic patterns, making it transparent to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Gravid fish comes from the old word gravid, meaning 'pregnant' or 'heavy with young', so it creates the image of a fish with a swollen belly. That's why gravid fish today means a fish that is 'carrying eggs' inside her body.