Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of numerous small chiefly marine bottom-feeding fishes of the suborder Blennioidei, having elongated bodies and often kept as aquarium fish.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A fish of the genus Blennius, of the family Blenniidœ, and especially of the subfamily Blenniinæ.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.) A marine fish of the genus Blennius or family Blenniidæ; -- so called from its coating of mucus. The species are numerous.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any of various marine fishes from the suborder Blennioidei that are generally small and dwell on the sea floor.
  • noun A number of similar but unrelated fish throughout the world.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun small usually scaleless fishes with comb-like teeth living about rocky shores; are territorial and live in holes between rocks

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin blennius, a kind of sea fish, from Greek blennos, slime, blenny; see mel- in Indo-European roots.]

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Examples

  • Endemic fish include the Malpelo barnacle-blenny Acanthenblemaria stephensi, Malpelo wrasse Halichoeres malpelo, pretty goby Chriolepis lepidotus, Rubinoff's triplefin Axoclinus rubinoffi and twinspot triplefin Lepidonectes bimaculata.

    Malpelo Island Flora and Fauna Sanctuary, Colombia 2008

  • Should the fly alight at too great a distance for even a second leap, the blenny moves slowly towards it like a cat to its prey, or like a jumping spider; and, as soon as it gets within two or three inches of the insect, by a sudden spring contrives to pop its underset mouth directly over the unlucky victim.

    A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries 2004

  • A curious little blenny-fish swarms in the numerous creeks which intersect the mangrove topes.

    A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries 2004

  • It is the lake cusk or freshwater ling and could be utilized on our tables; but the wolffish, the rock blenny, the angler or goosefish, the skate, and twenty other kinds, are of great value as food.

    Canada's Fishery Resources 1916

  • Some of the fishes are of a European type, such as the roach, the barbel, and the blenny; others are markedly

    Easton's Bible Dictionary M.G. Easton 1897

  • _Science Gossip_ he speaks of a pet blenny of his who was not only tame but musical.

    Brothers of Pity and Other Tales of Beasts and Men Juliana Horatia Gatty Ewing 1863

  • The viviparous species are by no means so prolific; yet the blenny brings forth two or three hundred at a time, which commence sporting together round their parent the moment they have come into existence.

    The Book of Household Management Isabella Mary 1861

  • The viviparous species are by no means so prolific; yet the blenny brings forth two or three hundred at a time, which commence sporting together round their parent the moment they have come into existence.

    The Book of Household Management Isabella Mary 1861

  • They are in general oviparous, or egg-producing; but there are a few, such as the eel and the blenny, which are viviparous, or produce their young alive.

    The Book of Household Management Isabella Mary 1861

  • They are in general oviparous, or egg-producing; but there are a few, such as the eel and the blenny, which are viviparous, or produce their young alive.

    The Book of Household Management Isabella Mary 1861

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