| plectognath | (n) tropical marine fishes having the teeth fused into a beak and thick skin covered with bony plates or spines, Syn. plectognath fish |
| plectognathi | (n) boxfishes; filefishes; globefishes; ocean sunfishes; triggerfishes; puffers, Syn. order Tetraodontiformes, order Plectognathi |
| Plectognath | a. (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the Plectognathi. -- |
| Plectognathi | ‖n. pl. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_; twisted (fr. &unr_; to plait, twist) + &unr_; jaw. ] (Zool.) An order of fishes generally having the maxillary bone united with the premaxillary, and the articular united with the dentary. [ 1913 Webster ] ☞ The upper jaw is immovably joined to the skull; the ventral fins are rudimentary or wanting; and the body is covered with bony plates, spines, or small rough ossicles, like shagreen. The order includes the diodons, filefishes, globefishes, and trunkfishes. [ 1913 Webster ] |