fish louse
- noun
- /fɪʃ laʊs/
- Specialized
:
piojo de pescado
- A single fish louse can cause severe irritation and damage to its host.
Examples
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The salmon farm had to be shut down due to a fish louse infestation.
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Biologists studied the effects of the fish louse on different species of freshwater fish.
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The fish louse can cause serious harm to its host.
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Many aquarists are concerned about fish lice in their tanks.
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The salmon farm had to be shut down due to a fish louse infestation.
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Biologists studied the effects of the fish louse on different species of freshwater fish.
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A single fish louse can cause severe irritation and damage to its host.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A very small water animal like a tiny shrimp that swims in plankton or lives on fish
A small sea animal that lives on fish and sometimes eats dead plants or animals
A small animal that lives on fish in aquariums and harms them
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'fish louse' denotes a louse (a parasitic organism) associated with fish, so a learner who knows 'fish' and 'louse' can infer it. This follows a standard modifier+noun pattern common across languages; even if 'louse' often evokes mammals or birds, the phrase transparently signals a parasite that lives on fish.
Etymology
The noun fish louse is a literal name: the words fish and louse create the image of a tiny parasite clinging to a fish and feeding on its skin or blood. That's why it means 'a small parasite that attaches to fish and feeds on them'.