cuttlefish
UK /ˈkʌtl̩fɪʃ/ · US /ˈkʌt(ə)lfɪʃ/ noun
Forms cuttlefishes
- noun Any squid-like cephalopods (marine mollusks) of the order Sepiida that have eight arms, two retractable tentacles, and a calcareous internal shell, and can eject a dark ink when threatened.
Synonyms
Etymology
From cuttle + fish.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A cephalopod of the genus Sepia, having an internal shell, large eyes, and ten arms furnished with denticulated suckers, by means of which it secures its prey. The name is sometimes applied to dibranchiate cephalopods generally.
- noun A foul-mouthed fellow. "An you play the saucy cuttle me." Shak.
Etymology [OE. codule, AS. cudele; akin to G. kuttelfish; cf. G. k, D. keutel, dirt from the guts, G. kuttel bowels, entrails. AS. cwip womb, Gith. qipus belly, womb.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “cuttlefish”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details