flathead

Thân thiện

A flathead rests on the sandy ocean floor near a coral reef.

Definition

Noun: 1. A type of fish: A pale-colored fish that lives on the bottom of the sea or river. It has a flat head, large eyes, and a snout that looks like a duck's bill. 2. A type of food fish: A fish used for food, found in the Pacific Ocean near Indonesia. It looks similar to a gurnard (another type of fish).

Usage Examples

• The angler caught a strange-looking flathead with a very wide, flat head.
• Flathead is a popular choice on the menu at coastal restaurants in that region.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used attributively (like an adjective) to describe other things with a similar shape.
  • Example: The mechanic used a flathead screwdriver. (This refers to a common type of screwdriver with a flat, straight tip, named for its shape, not the fish.)

Variants and Related Words

• Flathead catfish (n): A different, larger species of North American catfish known for its flat head.
• Flat-headed (adj): Having a head that is flat in shape.
  • Example: Some dog breeds, like the Bull Terrier, are flat-headed.

Synonyms

• For the fish: Bottom-dweller, demersal fish.
• For the shape: Blunt-headed, depressed (in a biological/zoological context).

Different Meanings

• Flathead (capitalized) can also refer to a member of a Native American tribe, the Salish people of the Northwestern United States.
• In mechanics and tools, flathead commonly describes a type of screw or screwdriver with a single straight slot, as mentioned in Advanced Usage.

Học thuật

Noun

1. pallid bottom-dwelling flat-headed fish with large eyes and a duck-like snout
2. food fish of the Indonesian region of the Pacific; resembles gurnards