cow-fish

A cow-fish swims slowly through a clear blue sea.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A marine mammal: "cow-fish" refers to a manatee or dugong, a large, slow-moving aquatic mammal that grazes on sea grass.
   • A type of fish: "cow-fish" also denotes a species of boxfish (family Ostraciidae), characterized by a box-like body and small horns over the eyes, often found in tropical waters.

Usage Examples

• Marine mammal:
  • The cow-fish swam lazily through the shallow coastal waters. (A manatee or dugong moving slowly in its natural habitat.)
• Fish:
  • We spotted a cow-fish near the coral reef, its angular body and tiny horns making it easy to identify. (A boxfish with distinctive features.)

Advanced Usage

• "like a cow-fish": used metaphorically to describe something slow, placid, or cumbersome.
  • The old ship moved through the harbor like a cow-fish. (Moving slowly and heavily.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cowfish (n): alternative spelling, often used interchangeably.
  • The aquarium had a colorful cowfish in its tropical exhibit. (A boxfish on display.)

Synonyms

• Manatee: a large, herbivorous marine mammal (for the mammal sense).
• Boxfish: a fish with a box-shaped body (for the fish sense).
• Sea cow: another term for manatee or dugong.

Related Idioms

• No common idioms: "cow-fish" is primarily a zoological term and does not appear in standard idiomatic expressions.