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Glite Dictionary
hornpout

hornpout

9.9
A small catfish like a brown bullhead from the eastern United States
  • noun
  • /ˈhɔrnˌpaʊt/
  • US
: pez gato
  • Many anglers in New England enjoy fishing for hornpout at dusk.

Examples

  • We caught a hornpout at the lake yesterday.

  • The pond is well stocked with hornpout and other native fish.

  • After catching a hornpout, he released it gently back into the water.

  • The hornpouts are biting well this season.

  • Many anglers in New England enjoy fishing for hornpout at dusk.

  • After catching a hornpout, he released it gently back into the water.

  • The pond is well stocked with hornpout and other native fish.

Synonyms

bullhead
vshornpout
  • US
1 7.7

A small freshwater fish like a catfish with a wide flat head

is narrower, used for a particular catfish type rather than all broad-headed fish
bullhead catfish
vshornpout
  • US
1 6.4

A small fish with a thick body, broad flat head and whisker-like feelers near its mouth

is narrower, indicating one common small type rather than many species
pout
vshornpout
  • US
1 9.9

A small freshwater catfish found in ponds and creeks in the eastern United States

is identical in meaning but uses a different form of the name
brown bullhead
vshornpout
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A small freshwater catfish with whisker-like feelers and brownish skin found in the eastern United States

is a general type label used especially for that species
horned pout
vshornpout
  • US
1 9.7

A small brown freshwater catfish with whisker-like feelers

is the same in meaning but presented with an alternate form

Surface Forms

hornpout singular
hornpouts plural

Morphology

hornpout = horn + pout (opaque) = horn + pout

Although built from familiar words, the compound denotes a specific species of catfish and this meaning is not derivable by an average B1 learner from 'horn' + 'pout'.

Etymology

The word hornpout likely comes from horn and pout. The horn part points to the fish's whisker-like 'horns' and pout was an old word for a fish's wide 'mouth'. So hornpout is a simple name for this small catfish, like the brown bullhead.