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Glite Dictionary
horse-head

horse-head

9.4
A silvery sea fish with a very flat body
  • noun
translation icon : pez luna
  • We spotted a school of horse-heads gliding gracefully near the coral reef.

Examples

  • The horse-head is often found in coastal waters throughout the tropics.

  • I caught a horse-head while fishing yesterday.

  • Fishermen value the horse-head for its mild flavor and delicate flesh.

  • Look at that horse-head!

  • Fishermen value the horse-head fish for its mild flavor and delicate flesh.

  • The horse-head is commonly found in coastal waters throughout the tropics.

  • We spotted several horse-head fish gliding gracefully near the coral reef.

Synonyms

horsehead
vshorse-head
  • Specialized
1 9.8

A flat silver fish that lives in warm seas

is a broader common name for multiple silvery flat fishes
dollarfish
vshorse-head
  • US
9.9

A small silvery flat fish like a butterfish that lives near the coast

is the wider common name for several silvery flat fishes
moonfish
vshorse-head
8.1

A flat, round ocean fish with shiny bright colors

is used for several silvery species with very flat bodies
Atlantic moonfish
vshorse-head
8.2

A silvery fish with a very flat body that lives in the Atlantic Ocean

is the broader common name for several silvery flat fishes
Selene setapinnis
vshorse-head
  • Specialized
9.9

A silvery sea fish with a very flat body often called the Atlantic moonfish

is a general common name covering several similar silvery flat fishes
horsefish
vshorse-head
9.1

A small sea fish with a flat silver body like a seahorse

is the regular common name specifically for silvery flat fishes

Surface Forms

horse-head singular
horse-heads plural

Morphology

horse-head = horse + head (semi-transparent) = horse + head

The compound is compositionally clear ('horse' + 'head' suggests a head resembling a horse), but the specialized taxonomic meaning 'a silvery marine fish' is lexicalized and not fully predictable from the components.

Etymology

Horse-head comes from the simple parts horse and head, because this silvery fish has a long, flat face that 'looks like a horse's head' to fishers. So the name helps you picture the fish's shape and remember what kind of fish it is.