ganoid

1 of 2

adjective

gan·​oid ˈga-ˌnȯid How to pronounce ganoid (audio)
: of, having, or being fish scales consisting of bone and an outer shiny layer resembling enamel
also : relating to or being fish with ganoid scales

ganoid

2 of 2

noun

: a fish (such as a sturgeon or gar) with ganoid scales

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

after French Ganoïdes, order name (latinized as Ganoidei), from Greek gános "brightness, sheen, gladness, joy," (abstract noun derivative from gánymai, ganýnai "to brighten up, be glad," going back to Indo-European *gh2-n-u- derivative of *geh2u̯- "be glad") + -oïdes, plural of -oïde -oid entry 1

Note: Indo-European *geh2u̯- "be glad" may also be the base of Latin gaudēre "to be glad" (see joy entry 1). The order name Ganoïdes was introduced by the elder Louis agassiz for fish with such scales in Recherches sur les poissons fossiles (Neuchatel, 1833-43).

Noun

after French Ganoïdes or New Latin Ganoidei, order names — more at ganoid entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1847, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ganoid was circa 1839

Dictionary Entries Near ganoid

Ganodus

ganoid

Ganoidei

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Ganoid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ganoid. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Giving Thanks Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...