smoothhound

9.9

A small shark with smooth skin and a long nose that lives near coasts

noun
/smuːðhaʊnd/

: tiburón liso

A. J. Kalmijn started testing the sensitivity of bottom-feeding dusky smoothhound sharks (Mustelus canis) to electrodes placed in the sands off Cape Cod.

Examples

The smoothhound is often found swimming close to the sandy ocean floor.
Fishermen enjoy catching smoothhounds because they are known for their delicate texture and taste.
While snorkeling, we spotted a smoohhound gliding gracefully over the sea bed.

Synonyms

smoothhound shark

vssmoothhound

7.8

A small thin shark near European coasts that eats crabs, also called smooth dogfish

means the same but is an alternative name

Mustelus mustelus

vssmoothhound

9.9

A small shark with a slender body and smooth skin that lives near the coasts of Europe

refers more broadly to the whole genus rather than one species

Compounds

Florida smoothhound

Specialized

9.6

A small shark that lives in shallow coastal waters from the northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil

smoothhound shark

7.8

A small thin shark near European coasts that eats crabs, also called smooth dogfish

Surface Forms

smoothhound singular

smoothhounds plural

Morphology

smoothhound = smooth + hound (semi-transparent) = smooth + hound

The components 'smooth' and 'hound' are lexically clear, but the compound names a specific species of shark, so the exact zoological referent is specialized and not fully predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Smoothhound is easy to remember because it joins smooth ('not rough') and hound ('dog'), since this small shark has very smooth skin and a snout that looks like a dog's nose. So, a smoothhound is a small, dog-like shark with smooth skin.