stick·le·back (st k  l-b k )n. Any of various small freshwater and marine fishes of the family Gasterosteidae, having erectile spines along the back. [Middle English stikelbak : Old English sticel, prick; see steig- in Indo-European roots + Middle English bak, back; see back1.] |
stickleback [ˈstɪkəlˌbæk]
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any small teleost fish of the family Gasterosteidae, such as Gasterosteus aculeatus (three-spined stickleback) of rivers and coastal regions and G. pungitius (ten-spined stickleback) confined to rivers. They have a series of spines along the back and occur in cold and temperate northern regions
[from Old English stickel prick, sting + back1]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  stickleback - small (2-4 inches) pugnacious mostly scaleless spiny-backed fishes of northern fresh and littoral waters having elaborate courtship; subjects of much researchfamily Gasterosteidae, Gasterosteidae - sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus, three-spined stickleback - of rivers and coastal regions Gasterosteus pungitius, ten-spined stickleback - confined to rivers acanthopterygian, spiny-finned fish - a teleost fish with fins that are supported by sharp inflexible rays |
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