any tropical plectognath fish of the family Ostraciidae, having the body encased in bony plates with openings for the fins, eyes, mouth, etc
Also called: boxfish, cowfish
boxfish in American English
(ˈbɑksˌfɪʃ)
nounWord forms: plural-fishes or esp collectively -fish
any plectognath fish of the family Ostraciontidae, of warm seas, having a boxlike body encased in bony, polygonal plates; trunkfish
Word origin
[1830–40; box1 + fish]This word is first recorded in the period 1830–40. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: ante, format, nationalism, rococo, stroboscope