Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA fish of the species Zanclus cornutus, a colorful marina tropical fish often kept in aquaria.
Similar
Origin
From a supposed reverence Muslims somewhere around the Indo-Pacific (often colloquially called "Moors" by the Europeans) had for the fish.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic شُوش
- شُوش (šūš)Zanclus cornutus
Finnish sarvikala
- sarvikalaZanclus cornutus
French idole mauresque, idole des Maures
- idole mauresqueZanclus cornutus
- idole des MauresZanclus cornutus
German Halfterfisch
- HalfterfischZanclus cornutus
Hawaiian kihikihi
- kihikihiZanclus cornutus
Italian idolo moresco
- idolo morescoZanclus cornutus
Japanese 角出, ツノダシ
- 角出Zanclus cornutus
- ツノダシ (tsunodashi)Zanclus cornutus
Korean 깃대돔
- 깃대돔 (gitdaedom)Zanclus cornutus
Polish idolek mauretański
- idolek mauretańskiZanclus cornutus
Portuguese zanclo, ídolo-mouro
- zancloZanclus cornutus
- ídolo-mouroZanclus cornutus
Spanish ídolo moro
- ídolo moroZanclus cornutus
Cite this entry
APA
Moorish idol. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Moorish%20idol
MLA
“Moorish idol.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Moorish%20idol. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Moorish idol,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Moorish%20idol.
Source: Moorish idol on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.