toadfish

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun bottom-dwelling fish having scaleless slimy skin and a broad thick head with a wide mouth

From toad + fish, in reference to their toadlike appearance.

As for the first subgenus, it furnished several specimens of that bizarre fish aptly nicknamed “toadfish,” whose big head is sometimes gouged with deep cavities, sometimes swollen with protuberances; bristling with stings and strewn with nodules, it sports hideously irregular horns; its body and tail are adorned with callosities; its stings can inflict dangerous injuries; it’s repulsive and horrible. — Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World, Jules Verne

Opsanus tau

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning