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sea lamprey
noun
: a large anadromous lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) that has a mottled upper surface, is an ectoparasite of fish, and is sometimes used as food
Examples of sea lamprey in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Woodworth said there are five migratory fish affected by the dam: American eel, sea lamprey, blueback herring, alewife and American shad.
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Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2024
But sea lampreys, which live in the northern and western Atlantic Ocean, are among today’s rare, jawless vertebrates.
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Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 May 2024
Then alewives, sea lampreys, Eurasian watermilfoil and others all were introduced into the lake and made their mark.
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Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2024
To their surprise, the team found that the sea lamprey core hindbrain circuit is also initiated by retinoic acid.
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Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Feb. 2024
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sea lamprey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1879, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near sea lamprey
Cite this Entry
“Sea lamprey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sea%20lamprey. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Kids Definition
sea lamprey
noun
: a lamprey of the Atlantic coast that is also found in the Great Lakes and that attaches to and feeds on other fishes with its round sucking mouth
More from Merriam-Webster on sea lamprey
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sea lamprey
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