shovelnose

noun

shov·​el·​nose ˈshə-vəl-ˌnōz How to pronounce shovelnose (audio)
: a shovel-nosed animal and especially a fish

Examples of shovelnose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In reality, the fish is a type of shovelnose ray. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026 Their ancestor probably looked quite similar to their closest modern relatives – the shovelnose rays, or guitarfishes. — Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 5 Mar. 2012 Back in the 1980s, Semmens attempted to make a sturddlefish by combining sperm from shovelnose sturgeons with eggs from paddlefish; the eggs started to develop but then quit. — Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2020 But, in 2024, the zoo's tiger shovelnose catfish correctly predicted the Kansas City Chiefs would win Super Bowl 58. — Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1709, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shovelnose was in 1709

Rhymes for shovelnose

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Browse Nearby Words

shovelman
shovelnose
shovelnose catfish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shovelnose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shovelnose. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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