Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A genus of nematognathous catfishes, representing the family Malapteruridæ, with an adipose fin over the caudal region and no true dorsal fin; the electric fishes. M. eleclricus inhabits the Nile and other African rivers.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- proper noun (Zoöl.) A genus of African siluroid fishes, including the electric catfishes. See Electric cat, under
electric .
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Examples
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The first electric catfish was described in 1784 under the ominous name "le trembleur," and for a long time it was thought that Africa was home to only a single species, subsequently given the apt scientific name of Malapterurus electricus.
NYT > Home Page 2010
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