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Definition of sea robin
sea robin
Plural:sea robins
sea robin Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
9
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
North American Any of various bottom-dwelling marine fishes of the family Triglidae, found primarily in temperate and tropical seas, characterized by a large armored head and fan-like pectoral fins with independent rays used to walk along the ocean floor.
Example
"While casting off the pier, the angler was surprised to reel in a sea robin, which immediately flared its vibrant, wing-like fins and began making a croaking sound."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for sea robinWord Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 19th century in North America, combining 'sea' and 'robin', so named because their large, fan-like pectoral fins resemble bird wings and some species exhibit a reddish, robin-like coloration.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Sea robin. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/sea robin