swordtail en · NOUN
Etymology
From sword + tail.
Meanings
-
One of many species of freshwater fish, in genus Xiphophorus, others of which are called platyfish.
There were all kinds - Swordtails, Guppies, Platys, Terras [sic], Neons, Cichlids, Labyrinth and Paradise fish, and every variety of exotic Goldfish.
1954, Ian Fleming, “Midnight Among The Worms”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 156:But ongoing efforts to sequence genes from other fishes, including salmon and swordtail, will also help to test the theory, Postlethwait says.
1998 August 21, Gretchen Vogel, “EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY:Doubled Genes May Explain Fish Diversity”, in Science, volume 281, number 5380, →DOI, pages 1119–1121:
- Any of various papilionid butterflies that have a long sword-like projection from the tornal section of each hindwing.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| swordtails | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Hyponyms
five-bar swordtail · green swordtail · red swordtail
Translations (6)
el ξιφοφόρος (freshwater fish) · da sværddrager (freshwater fish) · bg хелер (freshwater fish) · fr xiphophore (freshwater fish) · ru мечено́сец (freshwater fish) · fi miekkapyrstö (freshwater fish)