silverfish
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
sil·ver·fish
(sĭl′vər-fĭsh′)n. pl. silverfish or sil·ver·fish·es
1. Any of various fishes having silvery scales, such as a tarpon or silverside.
2. Any of various small wingless insects of the order Thysanura, having a silvery body and a three-pronged tail, especially Lepisma saccharina, which feeds on the starchy material in bookbindings, clothing, and food.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
silverfish
(ˈsɪlvəˌfɪʃ)n, pl -fish or -fishes
1. (Animals) a silver variety of the goldfish Carassius auratus
2. (Animals) any of various other silvery fishes, such as the moonfish Monodactylus argenteus
3. (Animals) any of various small primitive wingless insects of the genus Lepisma, esp L. saccharina, that have long antennae and tail appendages and occur in buildings, feeding on food scraps, bookbindings, etc: order Thysanura (bristletails)
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
sil•ver•fish
(ˈsɪl vərˌfɪʃ)n., pl. (esp. collectively) -fish, (esp. for kinds or species) -fish•es.
1. any of various silvery fishes, as the tarpon or silversides.
2. a wingless, silvery-gray insect, Lepisma saccharina, that feeds on starch in books, wallpaper, etc.
[1695–1705]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Noun | 1. | silverfish - silver-grey wingless insect found in houses feeding on book bindings and starched clothing thysanuran insect, thysanuron - primitive wingless insects: bristletail genus Lepisma, Lepisma - type genus of the Lepismatidae: silverfish |
2. | silverfish - a silvery variety of Carassius auratus Carassius auratus, goldfish - small golden or orange-red freshwater fishes of Eurasia used as pond or aquarium fishes |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995