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Definition of filefish

filefish

/ˈfaɪl.fɪʃ/
file · fish
Plural:filefishes
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filefish Lexical Profile

filefish Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

Any of various tropical to subtropical marine fishes of the family Monacanthidae, closely related to triggerfish, characterized by highly compressed bodies, rough sandpaper-like skin, and a prominent erectile dorsal spine.

Example

"While snorkeling over the tropical reef, the marine biologist pointed out a scrawled filefish camouflaged perfectly against the swaying gorgonians."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for filefish

• Rhymes for filefish

• Nearby Words

file
file snake
filecard
filefish
filename
filer
fileserver

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the mid-17th century from 'file' and 'fish', named for the rough, sandpaper-like texture of its skin, which was historically dried and used as an abrasive or to strike matches.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Filefish. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/filefish
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