mermaid's purse en · NOUN
Meanings
-
The egg case of a skate, shark or ratfish.
He reflected that it had probably come in over the outer reef to lay its eggs, or 'Mermaids' Purses' as the fishermen call them, because they are shaped like a pillow with a stiff black string at each corner, on the sheltered sandy bottom.
1954, Ian Fleming, “Beau Desert”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 206:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| mermaid's purses | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| mermaids' purse | alternative | lexicographic |
Synonyms
sea-purse · sea-pincushion · devil's purse · sailor's purse
Translations (6)
nrf bourse (the egg case of a cartilaginous fish) · nrf crapaud d'mé (the egg case of a cartilaginous fish) · fr capsule d'œufs (the egg case of a cartilaginous fish) · nrf bourse au dgiâbl'ye (the egg case of a cartilaginous fish) · fr bourse de sirènes (the egg case of a cartilaginous fish) · nrf chiviéthe à bras (the egg case of a cartilaginous fish)