prickleback Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun small elongate fishes of shallow northern seas; a long dorsal fin consists entirely of spines
  2. noun small (2-4 inches) pugnacious mostly scaleless spiny-backed fishes of northern fresh and littoral waters having elaborate courtship; subjects of much research
    stickleback.

WordNet

Pric"kle*back`, Pric"kle*fish` noun (Also<
  • Prickleback
  • Pricklefish
)
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) The stickleback.

Webster 1913