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Definition of tubeshoulder
tubeshoulder
/ˈtuːbˌʃoʊldɚ/
tube · shoul · der
Plural:tubeshoulders
tubeshoulder Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
13
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
Any of various deep-sea marine fishes belonging to the family Platytroctidae, characterized by a distinct tube-like structure on the shoulder region that ejects a bioluminescent blue-green fluid to evade predators.
Example
"The deep-sea submersible captured rare footage of a tubeshoulder releasing a glowing cloud of fluid as it darted away from a larger predator."
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound of 'tube' and 'shoulder', named for the distinctive tube-like papilla located behind the pectoral fin (shoulder region) which secretes a luminous fluid.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Tubeshoulder. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/tubeshoulder