Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
smoothhound shark

smoothhound shark

7.8
A small thin shark near European coasts that eats crabs, also called smooth dogfish
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : tiburón liso
  • The smoothhound shark is often found in shallow waters.

Examples

  • Researchers tagged several smoothhound sharks to study their migration patterns in the North Sea.

  • Local fishermen sometimes catch smoothhound sharks while fishing for cod off the coast.

  • A smoothhound shark swims gracefully along the rocky shore in search of crustaceans.

  • Many fishermen enjoy catching smoothhound sharks during the summer.

  • A smoothhound shark swims gracefully along the rocky shore in search of crustaceans.

  • Local fishermen sometimes catch smoothhound sharks while fishing for cod off the coast.

  • Researchers tagged several smoothhound sharks to study their migration patterns in the North Sea.

Synonyms

smoothhound
vssmoothhound shark
  • UK
9.9

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

is the general name for these small coastal slender sharks
Mustelus mustelus
vssmoothhound shark
  • UK
9.9

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

is the broader name covering related small coastal shark species

Surface Forms

smoothhound shark singular
smoothhound sharks plural

Morphology

smoothhound + shark

The phrase names a shark of the smoothhound type and is directly compositionally interpretable: if a learner knows 'smoothhound' (a slender shark) and 'shark', they can infer it refers to that species. This denotative, taxonomic naming pattern is common and predictable, so the expression is transparent to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.

Etymology

Smoothhound shark gets its name from a simple picture: these small sharks have very smooth skin (smooth) and a doglike nose and way of hunting that reminded people of a hound, so the name describes 'a small, slender shark' found near the coast.