Silberfischchen

German

Alternative forms

• Silberfisch (fairly rare)

Etymology

Mid-19th century, from Silber (“silver”) +‎ Fischchen (literally “little fish”), which latter had already been used in this sense on its own. As in English silverfish, the name is based on the somewhat fish-like form as well as movement of the insect.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzɪlbɐˌfɪʃçən/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Silberfischchen n (genitive Silberfischchens, plural Silberfischchen)

1. silverfish, slicker (insect)

Synonyms

• Zuckergast (archaic or dialectal)

Further reading

• “Silberfischchen” in Duden online