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Definition of soldierfish

soldierfish

/ˈsoʊl.dʒɚ.fɪʃ/
sol · dier · fish
Plural:soldierfish
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soldierfish Lexical Profile

soldierfish Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

Any of various tropical marine fishes of the subfamily Myripristinae within the family Holocentridae, closely related to squirrelfishes, typically characterized by bright red coloration, rough scales, and large eyes adapted for nocturnal feeding in coral reefs.

Example

"While night diving in the Caribbean, we spotted a school of soldierfish hiding in the rocky crevices of the coral reef."

• Nearby Words

solder
soldering iron
soldier
soldierfish
soldierlike
soldierliness
soldierly

Word Origin & Etymology

A compound of 'soldier' and 'fish', named for their predominantly bright red coloration which historically resembled the red uniform coats worn by soldiers, particularly those of the British military.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

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