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Definition of jawfish

jawfish

/ˈdʒɔːˌfɪʃ/
jaw · fish
Plural:jawfishes
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jawfish Lexical Profile

jawfish Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

Any of various small, marine fishes of the family Opistognathidae, typically found in warm coastal waters and characterized by their large mouths, which they use for burrowing and mouthbrooding eggs.

Example

"The male yellowhead jawfish protects his offspring by incubating the clutch of eggs entirely inside his mouth."

• Rhymes for jawfish

• Nearby Words

jawbox
jawbreaker
jawed
jawfish
jawless
jawline
jay

Word Origin & Etymology

A compound of 'jaw' and 'fish', named for the unusually large mouths characteristic of these fishes, which they use to excavate burrows and incubate their eggs.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

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