Quillback
/ˈkwɪlˌbæk/noun
A North American freshwater fish with a tall, spiny dorsal fin and a distinctive humped back.
Did you know?Quillback is a transparent compound of quill + back, so its eerie, armored look is encoded right in the name rather than hidden in an ancient root.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
cwell
“a feather or pen; later the shaft of a feather”
Old English
OE
bæc
“the back of a body or animal”
19th Century
English
quill back
“a descriptive name for a fish with a spiny, quill-like back”
Modern English
English
quillback
“a freshwater fish named for its quill-like dorsal fin and curved back”