Meanings
blowfish1
nounblowfish (plural blowfish or blowfishes)
plural blowfishes
- Any species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe several times their normal size by swallowing water or air when threatened.
Where the waves wish-wash, and the foghorn blows, And the blowfish nibble at your toes - oes - oes, The blowfish nibble at your toes.
1945, Harold Wallace Ross, William Shawn, Tina Brown, The New Yorker - Volume 21, Issues 21-37, page 20 - A delicacy popular in Japan, consisting of the fish served raw as sushi or perhaps fried. It may, if improperly prepared, contain considerably deadly levels of neurotoxins.
Fugu, the blowfish or globefish, offers taste, health and adventure in every bite.
1981 November 29, Steve Lohr, “ONE MAN'S FUGU IS ANOTHER'S POISON”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 08 Mar 2021
Blowfish2
proper noun
- computerA symmetric block cipher encryption algorithm used in modern cryptographic software, designed by Bruce Schneier in 1993.
Synonyms & antonyms
noundelicacy that is highly dangerous because of a potent nerve poison in ovaries and liver
Similar
Broader
saltwater fish
nounany of numerous marine fishes whose elongated spiny body can inflate itself with water or air to form a globe; several species contain a potent nerve poison; closely related to spiny puffers
Similar
Broader
plectognathplectognath fish
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰel-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰleh₁-
- Proto-Germanic*blēaną
- Proto-West Germanic*blāan
- Old Englishblāwan
- Middle Englishblowen
- Englishblow
- Proto-Indo-European*péysks
- Proto-Germanic*fiskaz
- Proto-West Germanic*fisk
- Old Englishfisċ
- Middle Englishfisch
- Englishfish
- Englishblowfish
Translations
Arabic أَسْمَاك بَالُون
- أَسْمَاك بَالُون (ʔasmāk bālūn)any species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Bulgarian риба-таралеж
- риба-таралеж (riba-taralež)any species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Chinese Mandarin 河豚, 河豚
- 河豚 (hétún)any species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- 河豚 (hétún)a delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins
Danish kuglefisk
- kuglefiskany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Dutch kogelvis
- kogelvisany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Finnish pallokala, siilikala
- pallokalaany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- siilikalaany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- fugua delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins
- pallokalaa delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins
- siilikalaa delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins
French poisson ballon, poisson globe
- poisson ballonany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- poisson globeany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
German Kugelfisch
- Kugelfischany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Hungarian gömbhal
- gömbhalany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Icelandic ígulfiskur
- ígulfiskurany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Indonesian buntal
- buntalany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Irish iasc balún
- iasc balúnany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Italian pesce palla
- pesce pallaany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Japanese フグ, 河豚
- フグ (fugu)any species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- 河豚 (fugu)any species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- 鰒 (fugu)any species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- フグ (fugu)a delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins
- 河豚 (fugu)a delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins
Korean 복어, 복어
- 복어 (bogeo)any species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- 복어 (bogeo)a delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins
Malay buntal, ikan buntal
- buntalany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- ikan buntalany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Māori kōpūtōtara
- kōpūtōtaraany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Polish ryba rozdymkowata
- ryba rozdymkowataany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Portuguese baiacu, peixe-balão
- baiacuany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- peixe-balãoany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- fuguany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- fugua delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins
Russian иглобрю́хая ры́ба, ры́ба-соба́ка
- иглобрю́хая ры́ба (iglobrjúxaja rýba)any species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- ры́ба-соба́ка (rýba-sobáka)any species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- фу́гу (fúgu)a delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins
Spanish pez globo, orbe
- pez globoany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- orbeany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Swedish blåsfisk
- blåsfiskany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Tagalog butete
- buteteany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Thai ปักเป้า
- ปักเป้า (bpàk-gà-bpâo)any species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Turkish balon balığı
- balon balığıany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Vietnamese cá bóng, cá nóc
- cá bóngany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
- cá nócany species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe
Cite this entry
APA
blowfish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/blowfish
MLA
“blowfish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/blowfish. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “blowfish,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/blowfish.
Source: blowfish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.