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Glite Dictionary
🐟 A tropical fish 🐛 A grass-eating larva
leatherjacket

leatherjacket

1 9.8
A tropical fish with tough skin and bright colors
  • noun
  • /ˈlɛðərˌdʒækɪt/
  • UK
: pez cuero
  • The diver spotted a brightly colored leatherjacket swimming near the coral reef.

Examples

  • The aquarium features several species of leatherjacket from the tropical Atlantic.

  • Local fishermen often catch leatherjackets alongside other tropical fish.

  • The leatherjacket is known for its vibrant colors.

  • Have you ever seen a leatherjacket in the wild?

  • Local fishermen often catch leatherjackets alongside other tropical fish.

  • The diver spotted a brightly colored leatherjacket swimming near the coral reef.

  • The aquarium features several species of leatherjacket from the tropical Atlantic.

Synonyms

leatherjack
vsleatherjacket
  • US
9.9

A tropical fish with very small scales and tough leather-like skin

is a general tropical fish term not limited to New World species
leatherfish
vsleatherjacket
9.9

A brightly colored tropical fish with skin like leather that lives in warm water

is a broader name for similar tropical fish sometimes only faintly colored
genus Oligoplites
vsleatherjacket
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of jack fish that live in warm coastal waters of the Americas

is the common general name rather than the formal scientific group

Surface Forms

leatherjacket singular
leatherjackets plural

Morphology

leatherjacket = leather + jacket (opaque) = leather + jacket

The word is a compound of 'leather' and 'jacket', but the specific meaning of a tropical fish is not directly derivable from the components.

Etymology

Leatherjacket comes from the familiar words leather and jacket. This tropical fish has very tough, leather-like skin, so people imagined it was wearing a 'leather jacket', which explains the name.