Definitions

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

  • noun Any of various prickly, often poisonous, chiefly marine fishes of the family Tetraodontidae that have a beaklike mouth and puff themselves up when threatened, by swallowing water or air.

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

  • noun Any species of fish of the family Tetraodontidae that have the ability to inflate themselves to a globe several times their normal size by swallowing water or air when threatened; puffer, blowfish, swellfish, balloonfish, globefish.
  • noun A delicacy popular in Japan served raw as sushi that may, if improperly prepared, contain deadly levels of neurotoxins; (Japanese) fugu.

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

  • noun any of numerous marine fishes whose elongated spiny body can inflate itself with water or air to form a globe; several species contain a potent nerve poison; closely related to spiny puffers
  • noun delicacy that is highly dangerous because of a potent nerve poison in ovaries and liver

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From puffer (from puff) + fish.

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Examples

  • The Toxic Exposure Surveillance System of the American Association of Poison Control Centers (TESS) has identified 10 illnesses of presumed pufferfish poisoning due to exposure from PSP after eating pufferfish from the area of Titusville, Florida.

    Fish poisonings and envenomations 2010

  • Hi Brokenbeat, as you can read, the pufferfish was a great hit with the readership.

    The Beach Vacation 2008 « Fairegarden 2008

  • Zooguu works their magic to transform the notorious fugu fish (aka pufferfish) into a cute yellow critter.

    Paperkraft.net 2009

  • Blowfish, aka pufferfish, of the order Tetraodontiformes, commonly contain high levels of the toxin tetrodotoxin* in their gonads, intestines, liver, and skin, although the flesh is often relatively safe.

    The Register 2009

  • Then there is the mid-range 7210 Fugu product, Fugu being a Japanese pufferfish which is lethally poisonous if prepared incorrectly.

    The Register 2008

  • When eating fugu (a Japanese pufferfish delicacy) or other pufferfish species, always make sure that it is prepared and handled by licensed professionals.

    Fish poisonings and envenomations 2010

  • Tetrodotoxin is a powerful neurotoxin found in the skin, liver, ovary, intestine and muscle of the pufferfish species (globefish, blowfish, balloon fish, toadfish).

    Fish poisonings and envenomations 2010

  • Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) has been reported to occur after eating pufferfish, filter feeding shellfish and mollusks.

    Fish poisonings and envenomations 2010

  • The pufferfish will tear the damn things to shreds!

    Gulp! Gulping? 2009

  • The pufferfish will tear the damn things to shreds!

    Gulp! Gulping? 2009

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