blenny

B3L1E1N1N1Y4
/ˈblɛni/

noun

Blenniidae (combtooth blennies)

Similar
combtooth blenny
OriginLatin blennius ← Ancient Greek βλέννα ← Proto-Indo-European *mel- →
UncommonScrabble 11
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Meanings

nounblenny (plural blennies)

plural blennies

  1. A true blenny, any of various marine fishes from the suborder Blennioidei or order Blenniiformes that are generally small and elongated which dwell on the sea floor, including scaled and scaleless forms and dramatically divergent appearance, in several families.
    1. Blenniidae (combtooth blennies)
    2. Chaenopsidae (pikeblennies, tubeblennies, and flagblennies)
    3. Clinidae (weedfishes)
    4. Dactyloscopidae (sand stargazers)
    5. Labrisomidae (labrisomids)
    6. Tripterygiidae (triple-fin blennies)
  2. A number of fish of similar appearance not closely related.
    1. bartail blenny (Platycephalus indicus, in family Pseudochromidae)
    2. viviparous blenny (Zoarces viviparus, in family Zoarcidae)
    3. convict blenny/engineer blenny (Pholidichthys leucotaenia, in family Pholidichthyidae)
    4. scooter blenny (Neosynchiropus ocellatus, in family Callionymidae)

Synonyms & antonyms

nounsmall usually scaleless fishes with comb-like teeth living about rocky shores; are territorial and live in holes between rocks

Similar
combtooth blenny
Broader
blennioid fishblennioid
Also see
combtooth blenny

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mel-“soft”
  2. Ancient Greekβλέννα“mucus, slime”
  3. Latinblennius
  4. Englishblenny

From Latin blennius, blendius, from Ancient Greek βλέννα (blénna, “mucus, slime”) (whence Modern Greek βλέννα (vlénna)), because of its slimy coating. From Proto-Indo-European *mel- (“soft”).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek, Proto-Indo-European

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan bavosa
  • bavosafish of Blenniodei
Chinese Mandarin 䲁 /鳚
  • 䲁 /鳚 (wèi)fish of Blenniodei
Czech slizoun
  • slizounfish of Blenniodei
Finnish limakala
  • limakalafish of Blenniodei
French blennie
  • blenniefish of Blenniodei
German Schleimfischartiger
  • Schleimfischartigerfish of Blenniodei
Greek βλέννος
  • βλέννος (vlénnos)fish of Blenniodei
Italian bavosa
  • bavosafish of Blenniodei
Portuguese blênio
  • blêniofish of Blenniodei
Russian морска́я соба́чка
  • морска́я соба́чка (morskája sobáčka)fish of Blenniodei
Turkish horozbina
  • horozbinafish of Blenniodei

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with blenny

anymanypennyjennyKennybennyKilkennygennyhennyLetterkennyfennyspennybad pennyfenniemegapennypretty pennyStennyveny
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

blenny. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/blenny

MLA

“blenny.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/blenny. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “blenny,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/blenny.

Source: blenny on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.