apogonid
|a-po-gon-id|
🇺🇸
/əˈpɑɡənɪd/
🇬🇧
/əˈpɒɡənɪd/
member of Apogonidae (cardinalfish)
Etymology
'apogonid' originates from Modern Latin 'Apogonidae', ultimately from Greek 'Apogon', where the prefix 'a-' meant 'without' and 'pogon' meant 'beard'.
'Apogon' (Greek) became the New Latin genus name 'Apogon', which formed the family name 'Apogonidae' (Modern Latin); the English adjective/noun-forming suffix '-id' produced 'apogonid' meaning a member of that family.
Initially it referred specifically to the genus 'Apogon' or things relating to it; over time it has been used to denote members of the broader family Apogonidae (cardinalfishes), a usage that is now standard.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a fish belonging to the family Apogonidae (cardinalfishes); any member of that family, typically small, nocturnal reef fishes.
The reef was teeming with small apogonids that hid in the coral at dusk.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/20 01:08