Devilfish

devilfish
    n 1: medium-sized greyish-black whale of the northern Pacific
         [syn: {grey whale}, {gray whale}, {devilfish},
         {Eschrichtius gibbosus}, {Eschrichtius robustus}]
    2: bottom-living cephalopod having a soft oval body with eight
       long tentacles [syn: {octopus}, {devilfish}]
    3: extremely large pelagic tropical ray that feeds on plankton
       and small fishes; usually harmless but its size make it
       dangerous if harpooned [syn: {manta}, {manta ray},
       {devilfish}]
    

Gray \Gray\ (gr[=a]), a. [Compar. {Grayer}; superl. {Grayest}.]
   [OE. gray, grey, AS. gr[=ae]g, gr[=e]g; akin to D. graauw,
   OHG. gr[=a]o, G. grau, Dan. graa, Sw. gr[*a], Icel. gr[=a]r.]
   [Written also {grey}.]
   1. any color of neutral hue between white and black; white
      mixed with black, as the color of pepper and salt, or of
      ashes, or of hair whitened by age; sometimes, a dark mixed
      color; as, the soft gray eye of a dove.
      [1913 Webster]

            These gray and dun colors may be also produced by
            mixing whites and blacks.             --Sir I.
                                                  Newton.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Gray-haired; gray-headed; of a gray color; hoary.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Old; mature; as, gray experience. -- Ames.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. gloomy; dismal.
      [PJC]

   {Gray antimony} (Min.), stibnite.

   {Gray buck} (Zool.), the chickara.

   {Gray cobalt} (Min.), smaltite.

   {Gray copper} (Min.), tetrahedrite.

   {Gray duck} (Zool.), the gadwall; also applied to the female
      mallard.

   {Gray falcon} (Zool.) the peregrine falcon.

   {Gray Friar}. See {Franciscan}, and {Friar}.

   {Gray hen} (Zool.), the female of the blackcock or black
      grouse. See {Heath grouse}.

   {Gray mill} or {Gray millet} (Bot.), a name of several plants
      of the genus {Lithospermum}; gromwell.

   {Gray mullet} (Zool.) any one of the numerous species of the
      genus {Mugil}, or family {Mugilid[ae]}, found both in the
      Old World and America; as the European species
      ({Mugilid[ae] capito}, and {Mugilid[ae] auratus}), the
      American striped mullet ({Mugilid[ae] albula}), and the
      white or silver mullet ({Mugilid[ae] Braziliensis}). See
      {Mullet}.

   {Gray owl} (Zool.), the European tawny or brown owl ({Syrnium
      aluco}). The great gray owl ({Ulula cinerea}) inhabits
      arctic America.

   {Gray parrot} (Zool.), an African parrot ({Psittacus
      erithacus}), very commonly domesticated, and noted for its
      aptness in learning to talk. Also called {jako}.

   {Gray pike}. (Zool.) See {Sauger}.

   {Gray snapper} (Zool.), a Florida fish; the sea lawyer. See
      {Snapper}.

   {Gray snipe} (Zool.), the dowitcher in winter plumage.

   {Gray whale} (Zool.), a rather large and swift whale of the
      northern Pacific ({Eschrichtius robustus}, formerly
      {Rhachianectes glaucus}), having short jaws and no dorsal
      fin. It grows to a length of 50 feet (someimes 60 feet).
      It was formerly taken in large numbers in the bays of
      California, and is now rare; -- called also {grayback},
      {devilfish}, and {hardhead}. It lives up to 50 or 60 years
      and adults weigh from 20 to 40 tons.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Gray whale \Gray whale\ (Zool.),
   a rather large and swift baleen whale of the northern Pacific
   ({Eschrichtius robustus}, formerly {Rhachianectes glaucus}),
   having short jaws and no dorsal fin; -- called also
   {grayback}, {devilfish}, and {hardhead}. It grows to a length
   of 50 feet (sometimes 60 feet). It was formerly taken in
   large numbers in the bays of California, and is now rare. It
   lives up to 50 or 60 years and adults weigh from 20 to 40
   tons.
   [1913 Webster + PJC]
    

manta ray \manta ray\ n.
   An extremely large pelagic tropical ray of the family
   {Mobulidae}, that feeds on plankton and small fishes. It is
   usually harmless but its size (up to 20 feet across and up to
   a ton in weight) make it dangerous if harpooned. Called also
   {manta}, {sea devil} and {devilfish}. See also {Cephaloptera}
   and {Sea devil}.
   [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
    

Devilfish \Dev"il*fish`\, n. (Zool.)
   (a) A huge ray ({Manta birostris} or {Cephaloptera vampyrus})
       of the Gulf of Mexico and Southern Atlantic coasts.
       Several other related species take the same name. See
       {Cephaloptera}.
   (b) A large cephalopod, especially the very large species of
       {Octopus} and {Architeuthis}. See {Octopus}.
   (c) The gray whale of the Pacific coast. See {Gray whale}.
   (d) The goosefish or angler ({Lophius}), and other allied
       fishes. See {Angler}.
       [1913 Webster]
    

Cephaloptera \Ceph`a*lop"te*ra\
   (s[e^]f`[.a]*l[o^]p"t[-e]*r[.a]), n. [NL., fr. Gr. kefalh`
   head + ptero`n wing.] (Zool.)
   One of the generic names of the gigantic ray ({Manta
   birostris}) of the family {Mobulidae}, known as {devilfish},
   {sea devil}, {manta} and {manta ray}. It is common on the
   coasts of South Carolina, Florida, and farther south, and is
   sometimes found as far north as New York Bay. Some of them
   grow to enormous size, becoming twenty feet of more across
   the body, and weighing more than a ton.
   [1913 Webster]