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Glite Dictionary
angler fish

angler fish

7.4
A deep sea fish with a large mouth and a glowing lure on its head to attract prey
  • noun
  • /ˈæŋɡlər fɪʃ/
translation icon : pez borrón
  • While exploring the abyss, we were amazed to see an angler fish with its unique lure.
  • a master angler fish

Examples

  • Like the angler fish we studied in biology.

    My One and Only (2009)

  • So the ILM crew looked at lots of fish, especially "those angler fish that live at the bottom of the ocean," and manta rays.

    Blog text (30)

  • The angler fish uses its bioluminescent lure to attract unsuspecting prey in the deep ocean.

  • The mysterious angler fish is known for its large mouth and the filament that dangles from its head.

Synonyms

anglerfish
vsangler fish
1 8.6

A deep-sea fish with a big mouth and a glowing lure on its head that it uses to attract prey

is written as two words rather than one
frogfish
vsangler fish
1 8.8

A sea fish with a mouth like a frog and a small lure on its nose to attract fish

uses a filament on the head rather than a snout-placed lure
allmouth
vsangler fish
9.9

A deep-sea fish with a large mouth and a long wormlike filament used to attract prey

is given in the data as a longer two word form
angler
vsangler fish
9.9

A fish with a light on its head that lures other fish

is expressed in the input as two words not the short label
Lophius americanus
vsangler fish
  • Specialized
9.9

A large sea fish from the northwest Atlantic with a long wormlike lure to attract prey

refers to the general predatory fish type rather than one species
goosefish
vsangler fish
  • US
9.9

A large sea fish with a big mouth and flat wide head that uses a wormlike lure to catch fish

is a general predatory form not limited to that head shape or region
monkfish
vsangler fish
6.3

A large sea fish with a flat, wide head and a big mouth

refers to the predatory type generally rather than this common name
Lophiidae
vsangler fish
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of large-headed sea fish known as anglerfish

refers to one predatory fish rather than the entire family group
family Lophiidae
vsangler fish
  • Specialized
9.9

Sea fish with large heads that use a lure to catch prey

is about an individual predatory fish rather than the broader family

Surface Forms

angler fish singular
angler fishes plural

Morphology

angler + fish

The meaning ('a fish with a lure') is directly derived from combining 'angler' (relating to angling or a lure-bearing element) with 'fish' to denote a type of fish. This noun–noun composition is a common, cross-linguistic naming pattern for animals, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Angler fish gets its name from a fishing trick: the female has a glowing, wormlike 'lure' on her head that she waves to attract other fish, like an angler, a person who fishes, uses bait. So the name now means a fish that 'lures' and eats its 'prey'.