cuttlefish

cuttlefish
[11] The cuttlefish probably gets its name from its resemblance to a bag when its internal shell is removed. Its earliest recorded designation is cudele (the compound cuttlefish does not appear until the 16th century), which is generally taken to be a derivative of the same base as produced cod ‘pouch’ (as in codpiece and peascod). In the 16th century the variant scuttlefish arose, perhaps partly with reference to the creature’s swift movements. => COD

The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Cuttlefish — Sepia latimanus, East Timor Scientific classification …   Wikipedia

  • cuttlefish — O.E. cudele the cuttlefish; first element perhaps related to M.L.G. küdel container, pocket; O.N. koddi cushion, testicle; and O.E. codd (see COD (Cf. cod)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • cuttlefish — [kut′ lfish΄] n. pl. cuttlefish or cuttlefishes (see FISH) [ME codel < OE cudele, akin to Norw dial. kaule (* kodle), OLowG cudele, older Du kuttlevisch: sense “pouch fish”: for IE base see COD2] any of a family (Sepiidae) of cephalopods that… …   English World dictionary

  • cuttlefish — ► NOUN ▪ a swimming marine mollusc that resembles a broad bodied squid, having eight arms and two long tentacles that are used for grabbing prey. ORIGIN related to Old English codd «bag», with reference to its ink bag …   English terms dictionary

  • cuttlefish — /kut l fish /, n., pl. (esp. collectively) cuttlefish, (esp. referring to two or more kinds or species) cuttlefishes. any of several cephalopods, esp. of the genus Sepia, having eight arms with suckers and two tentacles, and ejecting a black,… …   Universalium

  • cuttlefish — [[t]kʌ̱t(ə)lfɪʃ[/t]] N COUNT (cuttlefish is both the singular and the plural form.) A cuttlefish is a sea animal that has a soft body and a hard shell inside …   English dictionary

  • cuttlefish — UK [ˈkʌt(ə)lˌfɪʃ] / US noun [countable/uncountable] Word forms cuttlefish : singular cuttlefish plural cuttlefishes a sea creature with ten arms …   English dictionary

  • cuttlefish — /ˈkʌtlfɪʃ / (say kutlfish) noun (plural cuttlefish or cuttlefishes) any of various decapod dibranchiate cephalopods, especially of the genus Sepia, having sucker bearing arms and the power of ejecting a black, ink like fluid when pursued. Also,… …  

  • cuttlefish — [11] The cuttlefish probably gets its name from its resemblance to a bag when its internal shell is removed. Its earliest recorded designation is cudele (the compound cuttlefish does not appear until the 16th century), which is generally taken to …   Word origins

  • Cuttlefish — Cuttle Cut tle (k[u^]t t l), Cuttlefish Cut tle*fish ( f[i^]sh ), n. [OE. codule, AS. cudele; akin to G. kuttelfish; cf. G. k[ o]tel, D. keutel, dirt from the guts, G. kuttel bowels, entrails. AS. cwi[thorn] womb, Goth. qi[thorn]us belly, womb.]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”