triggerfish

trig·ger·fish
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UK/ˈtɹɪ.ɡəˌfɪʃ/US/ˈtɹɪ.ɡəɹˌfɪʃ/

noun

Any of several brightly coloured fish, of the family Balistidae, that inhabit tropical reefs and have an erectile spine on the dorsal fin.

OriginEnglish fish ← Middle English fisch ← Old English fisċ →
UncommonScrabble 19
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Meanings

nountriggerfish (plural triggerfish or triggerfishes)

plural triggerfishes · alternative trigger-fish

  1. Any of several brightly coloured fish, of the family Balistidae, that inhabit tropical reefs and have an erectile spine on the dorsal fin.

Origin

  1. Englishtrigger
  2. Proto-Indo-European*péysks
  3. Proto-Germanic*fiskaz
  4. Proto-West Germanic*fisk
  5. Old Englishfisċ
  6. Middle Englishfisch
  7. Englishfish
  8. Englishtriggerfish

From trigger + fish. First attested in the 1840s.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan ballesta, porcell
  • ballestaany of several fish
  • porcellany of several fish
Finnish säppikala
  • säppikalaany of several fish
French baliste
  • balisteany of several fish
Italian pesce balestra
  • pesce balestraany of several fish
Korean 쥐치복
  • 쥐치복 (jwichibok)any of several fish
Malay jebung, ayam-ayam
  • jebungany of several fish
  • ayam-ayamany of several fish
Polish rogatnica
  • rogatnicaany of several fish
Russian спиноро́г
  • спиноро́г (spinoróg)any of several fish
Cite this entry
APA

triggerfish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/triggerfish

MLA

“triggerfish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/triggerfish. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “triggerfish,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/triggerfish.

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