lamprey
9
9.0
- noun
- /ˈlæmpri/
:
lamprea
- Lampreys, which are jawless fish that belong to the oldest living lineage of vertebrates, use only a handful of olfactory receptor genes.
- Pacific lamprey
The trouble is, is that lampreys don't kill people.
- The trouble is, is that lampreys don't kill people.
- Vedius Polio was a guy who had lampreys or Moray eels or something like that in a big pool.
Examples
-
You think of lamprey eels and leeches.
Fiction book (1996) -
I visited Stan Grillner in Stockholm, who's studied lamprey all all his life.
-
The sea lamprey attaches itself to larger fish to feed on their blood.
-
Researchers are studying how lampreys can survive in both freshwater and saltwater environments.
-
In the river, the lamprey can be seen clinging to rocks as it moves upstream.
Synonyms
1
7.5
A large fish without jaws that attaches to other fish and feeds on them
A jawless eel-like fish that sticks to other fish using a round sucking mouth
A long fish without jaws with a round mouth that sucks blood from fish in rivers or seas
Compounds
- Specialized
1
7.5
A large fish without jaws that attaches to other fish and feeds on them
A long fish without jaws with a round mouth that sucks blood from fish in rivers or seas
Surface Forms
Etymology
Lamprey comes from the Latin word lampetra, a word thought to mean 'stone-licker' because the fish often clings to rocks with its round mouth. That's why a lamprey is a fish without jaws that uses a sucking mouth to attach to other fish and feed.