pipefish

noun

pipe·​fish ˈpīp-ˌfish How to pronounce pipefish (audio)
: any of various fishes (family Syngnathidae) that are related to the seahorses and have a tube-shaped snout and a long slender body covered with bony plates

Illustration of pipefish

Illustration of pipefish

Examples of pipefish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Five Coral Sea pipefish have been caught since 1984, according to the study. — Lauren Liebhaber july 9, Miami Herald, 9 July 2025 Male pipefish that were less interested in the pipefish mothers were less nurturing toward their young, investing fewer resources in them. — Kristen Rogers, CNN, 19 June 2022 After carefully studying them, Harasti and Short confirmed the ghost pipefish to be a completely new species. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 May 2026 Scientists don’t know much about ghost pipefishes in general, Short says, and have mostly operated off observations from divers. — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for pipefish

Word History

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pipefish was in 1769

Rhymes for pipefish

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Browse Nearby Words

piped rot
pipefish
pipe fitter
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Cite this Entry

“Pipefish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pipefish. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

pipefish

noun
pipe·​fish ˈpīp-ˌfish How to pronounce pipefish (audio)
: any of various long slender fishes that are related to the sea horses and have a tube-shaped snout and a body covered with bony plates

More from Merriam-Webster on pipefish

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pipefish

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