Blowfish
/ˈbloʊˌfɪʃ/noun
A pufferfish that inflates its body with air or water when threatened.
Did you know?The name is plain English—'blow' for swelling up and 'fish' for the animal—but the creature’s self-inflation made it a perfect symbol of sudden, defensive transformation in folklore and modern culture.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
Old English
blāwan
“to blow, breathe, swell”
Old English
Old English
fisc
“fish”
Early Modern English
English
blow fish
“a fish that blows itself up when disturbed”
19th Century
English
blowfish
“a pufferfish, especially one that inflates its body”