from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Ray \Ray\, n. [F. raie, L. raia. Cf. {Roach}.] (Zool.)
(a) Any one of numerous elasmobranch fishes of the order
Raiae, including the skates, torpedoes, sawfishes, etc.
(b) In a restricted sense, any of the broad, flat,
narrow-tailed species, as the skates and sting rays. See
{Skate}.
[1913 Webster]
{Bishop ray}, a yellow-spotted, long-tailed eagle ray
({Aetobatus narinari} syn. {Stoasodon narinari}) of the
Southern United States and the West Indies; also called
the {spotted eagle ray} and {white-spotted eagle ray}.
{Butterfly ray}, a short-tailed American sting ray
({Pteroplatea Maclura}), having very broad pectoral fins.
{Devil ray}. See {Sea Devil}.
{Eagle ray}, any large ray of the family {Myliobatidae}, or
{Aetobatidae}. The common European species ({Myliobatis
aquila}) is called also {whip ray}, and {miller}.
{Electric ray}, or {Cramp ray}, a torpedo.
{Starry ray}, a common European skate ({Raia radiata}).
{Sting ray}, any one of numerous species of rays of the
family {Trygonidae} having one or more large, sharp,
barbed dorsal spines on the whiplike tail. Called also
{stingaree}.
[1913 Webster]