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Glite Dictionary
ten-spined stickleback

ten-spined stickleback

8.4
A small freshwater fish with ten sharp spines on its back
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : espinoso de diez espinas
  • The ten-spined stickleback is often found in slow-moving rivers and streams.

Examples

  • Unlike its close relative, the ten-spined stickleback thrives in freshwater rather than brackish environments.

  • Scientists observed a school of ten-spined sticklebacks displaying unique nesting behavior.

  • The ten-spined stickleback is a fascinating fish.

  • Look at that ten-spined stickleback swimming near the rocks!

  • The ten-spined stickleback is a small fish commonly found in freshwater rivers across Europe.

  • In the summer, the ten-spined stickleback builds nests to attract mates in still waters.

  • Many anglers enjoy fishing for the ten-spined stickleback due to its colorful appearance.

Surface Forms

ten-spined stickleback singular
ten-spined sticklebacks plural

Morphology

ten-spined + stickleback

The phrase literally denotes a stickleback that has ten spines: 'ten-spined' transparently combines a numeral with a past-participial adjective from 'spine', and 'stickleback' is a small spiny fish, so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the parts. Numeric + adjective + noun composition is common and predictable across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would understand this term.

Etymology

Ten-spined stickleback gives a simple picture: ten-spined means the little fish has ten sharp spines along its back and stickleback is the name of that small fish. So the name points to 'a small freshwater fish' with ten spines.