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sil·ver·fish (sĭlvər-fĭsh′)
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n. pl. silverfish or sil·ver·fish·es
1. Any of various fishes having silvery scales, such as a tarpon or silverside.
2. Any of various small wingless insects of the order Thysanura, having a silvery body and a three-pronged tail, especially Lepisma saccharina, which feeds on the starchy material in bookbindings, clothing, and food.
(click for a larger image)
silverfish
common silverfish
Lepisma saccharina
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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