scorpion fish
1
7.9
- noun
- /ˈskɔːrpiən fɪʃ/
:
pez escorpión
- Catching a scorpion fish can be tricky due to its venomous spines, so handle with care.
Examples
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- It's scorpion fish.
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- She trod on a scorpion fish.
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When I spoke with Chris Shepherd at Underbelly, he had a scorpion fish on the menu.
Blog text (23) -
It's home to critters such as white and orange clown nudibranchs, scorpion fish, Lord Howe coralfish, and multihued schools swimming through the fauna.
Blog text (3) -
The chef prepared a delicious dish featuring a whole scorpion fish with aromatic herbs.
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While snorkeling, I spotted a colorful scorpion fish hiding among the rocks.
Synonyms
1
9.1
A fish with a pointed body and venomous spines that lives in warm seas
A fish that lives near the coast with a narrow body, armored head, and venomous spines
A group of sea fish like scorpionfish that live in warm waters and can sting
A group of scorpionfish species in the scorpionfish family
A sea fish with venomous spines that lives on coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific
A fish with feathery fins that hides on reefs and has stinging spines
How Venomous
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'scorpion fish' is directly built from 'scorpion' + 'fish', so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer it refers to a fish with scorpion-like features (e.g., venomous spines, armored head). This kind of descriptive animal-noun compound is cross-linguistically common and follows normal English composition patterns, making the meaning transparently derivable from its parts.
Etymology
Scorpion fish comes from the fish's sting and appearance: its sharp spines and rough, armored head make it look like a land scorpion, so people linked scorpion and fish. That's why scorpion fish means 'a fish with venomous spines' and why you should not touch one.