Kype
/kaɪp/noun
The projecting, hooked lower jaw that develops in some male salmon during spawning.
Did you know?A kype is a secondary sexual feature: in male salmon, hormones reshape the jaw into a hooked weapon used during competition for spawning access.
Etymological Timeline
15th Century
Scots
kype
“A basket or fish basket; an early Scots form associated with fishing.”
18th Century
Scots
kype
“A projecting or hooked jaw, especially that of a salmon.”
19th Century
English
kype
“The hooked lower jaw of a male salmon during the breeding season.”
Modern English
English
kype
“The characteristic hooked jaw developed by certain spawning salmon, particularly males.”