Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
redhorse sucker

redhorse sucker

9.9
A freshwater fish with reddish fins that lives in rivers and streams in North America
  • noun
  • /ˈrɛdˌhɔrs ˈsʌkər/
  • US
translation icon : pez redhorse
  • The redhorse sucker is commonly found in rivers and streams throughout the Midwest.

Examples

  • The redhorse sucker is found in many rivers.

  • Anglers often identify the redhorse sucker by its distinctive reddish fins.

  • During spawning season, schools of redhorse suckers can be seen in shallow water.

  • Many anglers enjoy catching redhorse suckers in the spring.

  • During their fishing trip, they caught a large redhorse sucker that weighed over ten pounds.

  • The redhorse sucker is easily recognized by its vibrant reddish fins and robust body.

  • At the local lake, we often see redhorse suckers swimming near the sandy bottom.

Synonyms

redhorse
vsredhorse sucker
  • US
9.9

A North American fresh water fish with red fins

is the same name but adds the family noun

Surface Forms

redhorse sucker singular
redhorse suckers plural

Morphology

redhorse + sucker

Both constituents denote fish species ('redhorse' — a freshwater fish with reddish fins; 'sucker' — a freshwater fish with suction lips), so a learner who knows these words can infer this is a type of sucker fish characterized as a redhorse. This is a simple noun–noun compound following common composition patterns, making the overall meaning directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Redhorse sucker comes from the fish's look: red for its reddish fins, horse to suggest a large, strong body, and sucker for the wide mouth it uses to 'suck' food from the river bottom. So the name means a freshwater fish with reddish fins and a mouth that pulls in food.