cuttlefish

noun

cut·​tle·​fish ˈkə-tᵊl-ˌfish 

: any of various marine cephalopod mollusks (order Sepiida, especially genus Sepia) having eight short arms and two usually longer tentacles and differing from the related squid in having a calcified internal shell

Illustration of cuttlefish

Examples of cuttlefish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Specifically, cuttlefish readily adapted their skin patterns to match different backgrounds, whether natural or artificial. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 20 Feb. 2025

Decoding Deception: The binding affinity of cuttlefish ink on shark smell receptors. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025

When scientists reared pharaoh cuttlefish embryos in the same tank as unassuming clownfish, initially, the embryos stayed put. —Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 29 Oct. 2024

By modeling the three-dimensional structures of shark olfactory receptors, researchers examined how various chemical compounds—including those in cuttlefish ink—bind to these receptors. —Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cotul + English fish

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cuttlefish

• jellyfish
• sablefish
• bluefish
• catfish
• codfish
• crawfish
• dogfish
• finfish
• flatfish
• goldfish
• groundfish
• kingfish

Kids Definition

cuttlefish

noun

cut·​tle·​fish -ˌfish 

: a marine mollusk having eight short arms and two longer tentacles and differing from the related squid in having an internal shell composed of compounds of calcium