Meaning & use
blowfish
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Meanings
nouncountable
A sea fish that can swell its body into a ball when threatened, and whose organs contain a powerful poison.
Grammar: Countable: one blowfish, two blowfish or two blowfishes.
Patterns
- a blowfish
- blowfish poison
We saw a blowfish at the aquarium; it puffed up as soon as we came near.
In Japan, blowfish is an expensive delicacy that only licensed chefs may prepare.
The blowfish's spines stick out when it inflates.
noununcountable
The flesh of this fish eaten as food, especially in Japanese cuisine.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the food: blowfish is served raw.
Patterns
- eat blowfish
- serve blowfish
He tried blowfish for the first time at a restaurant in Tokyo.
Blowfish must be prepared with great care because of its poison.
Word forms
| plural | blowfish |
|---|---|
| plural | blowfishes |
Common combinations
- puffer fish
- Puffer fish and blowfish are the same animal.
- blowfish poison
- Blowfish poison can be deadly if the fish is not cleaned properly.
- inflate like a blowfish
- The frog puffed up like a blowfish to scare off the snake.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pufferfish
- The more common everyday name in American English; blowfish is also widely understood.
- puffer
- Informal short form; less formal than blowfish.
Commonly confused: blowfish or blowfly?
blowfish vs blowfly
A blowfly is an insect that lays eggs on meat; a blowfish is a sea animal.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
The adjective 'threatened' describes the blowfish's feeling. 'Threatening' would mean the blowfish was scary, which is the opposite of the intended meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “blowfish”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.