Siluridae

plural noun

Si·​lu·​ri·​dae

-rəˌdē

: a family of catfishes formerly comprising most of the catfishes but now usually restricted to various freshwater fishes of Europe and Asia that differ from North American catfishes in having the adipose dorsal fin rudimentary or lacking and in having the anal fin long and more or less confluent with the eellike caudal fin

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Silurus, type genus + -idae

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!