Swellfishes

2 definitions found

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

  Diodon \Di"o*don\, n. [Gr. di- = di`s- twice + 'odoy`s,
     'odo`ntos, a tooth: cf. F. diodon.]
     1. (Zool.) A genus of spinose, plectognath fishes, having the
        teeth of each jaw united into a single beaklike plate.
        They are able to inflate the body by taking in air or
        water, and, hence, are called {globefishes},


        {swellfishes}, etc. Called also {porcupine fishes}, and
        {sea hedgehogs}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.) A genus of whales.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  swellfishes
       See {swellfish}