Croaker

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Sciaenoid \Sci*ae"noid\, a. [L. sciaena a kind of fish (fr. Gr.
     ?) + -oid.] (Zool.)
     Of or pertaining to the {Sciaenidae}, a family of carnivorous
     marine fishes which includes the meagre ({Sciaena umbra} or
     {Sciaena aquila}), and fish of the {drum} and {croaker}
     families. The {croaker} is so called because it may make a


     croaking noise by use of its bladder; the {Atlantic croaker}
     ({Micropogonias undulatus}, formerly {Micropogon undulatus})
     and the squeteague are a members of the croaker family, and
     the {kingfish} is a drum.
     [1913 Webster +PJC]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Croaker \Croak"er\ (-?r), n.
     1. One who croaks, murmurs, grumbles, or complains
        unreasonably; one who habitually forebodes evil.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.)
        (a) A small American fish ({Micropogon undulatus}), of the
            Atlantic coast.
        (a) An American fresh-water fish ({Aplodinotus
            grunniens}); -- called also {drum}.
        (c) The surf fish of California.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: When caught these fishes make a croaking sound; whence
           the name, which is often corrupted into crocus.

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  croaker
       n 1: the lean flesh of a saltwater fish caught along Atlantic
            coast of southern U.S.
       2: any of several fishes that make a croaking noise