seahorse
seahorse Lexical Profile
seahorse Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small marine fish of the genus Hippocampus, native to shallow tropical and temperate waters, characterized by a head resembling that of a horse, a prehensile tail, an upright posture, and the unique biological trait of males incubating eggs in a specialized brood pouch.
"The marine biologist observed the tiny yellow seahorse anchoring itself to a blade of seagrass using its prehensile tail."
A mythical creature of classical antiquity, typically depicted with the head and forelegs of a horse and the hindquarters and tail of a fish or dolphin.
"Ancient Roman mosaics often depict Neptune riding a grand chariot drawn across the ocean by a pair of seahorses."
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in Middle English from the words 'sea' and 'horse', named for the striking visual resemblance of the fish's head and neck to that of an equine.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.