any carplike freshwater cyprinoid fish of the family Cobitidae, of Eurasia and Africa, having a long narrow body with barbels around the mouth
Word origin
C14: from Old French loche, of obscure origin
Loach in British English
(ləʊtʃ)
noun
Ken(neth). born 1936, British television and film director; his works for television include Cathy Come Home (1966) and his films include Kes (1970), Riff-Raff (1991), Bread and Roses (2000), The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006), and The Angels' Share (2012)
loach in American English
(loʊtʃ)
noun
any of a family (Cobitidae, order Cypriniformes) of small, bottom-dwelling, freshwater,bony fishes with barbels around the mouth