preke

plural prekes · alternative preak

1. obsoleteAn octopus or similar marine organism, such as a cuttlefish or squid.

   Describing also what he calls the Preke or Poulps, Polypus. 'Tis, he says, a naked Fish, having eight Fingers or Arms, spread out almost like the Rays of a Star-Fish, and the Mouth in a Manner in the Middle of them.

   1743, Henry Baker, An Attempt Towards a Natural History of the Polype

   1 more example

   A climbing fish was known to the Greeks; but though mentioned by Oppian, in about twenty different parts of his "Halieuticks," and most curious qualities attributed to it, we do not correctly know this fish, the preke: "he has eight long legs or fibres, four on each side of his head, which serve him to crawl, cling to the rocks, and entangle his prey."

   1858, William Wright, Fishes and fishing

   Synonyms: calamary