stickleback

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a small freshwater or coastal fish of the family Gasterosteidae, distinguished by separate sharp spines along its back

   The male stickleback built a nest from plant fibers in the shallow stream.

From stickle, an old and dialectal word for a prickle or spine, + back. Stickle descends from Old English sticel, 'point, sting, or prickle,' related to stick. The name refers to the conspicuous defensive spines on the fish's back.

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