remora

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See also: Remora and rémora

English

WOTD – 21 November 2018

Etymology

A common remora (Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "ver" is not used by this template.), a species of remora (sense 1)
A view of the suction disc on a remora (sense 1)
The coat of arms of Viscount Scarsdale features, on the dexter side (the viewer’s left), the figure of Prudence holding a javelin entwined with a remora (sense 2) or serpent

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(deprecated template usage) Borrowed from Latin remora (“delay, hindrance, passive resistance”), from the belief that the fish would attach themselves to ships and slow them down, from re- (prefix meaning ‘back, backwards’) + mora (“delay”) (from Proto-Indo-European *mere (“to delay, hinder”),[1] from *(s)mer- (“to fall into thinking, remember; to care for”)).

Pronunciation

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ɹɪˈmɔːɹə/, /ˈɹɛməɹə/
  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "GA" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ɹiˈmɔɹə/, /ˈɹɛməɹə/
  • Hyphenation: re‧mo‧ra

Noun

remora (plural remora or remorae or remoras)

  1. Any of various elongate fish from the family Echeneidae, the dorsal fin of which is in the form of a suction disc that can take a firm hold against the skin of larger marine animals. [from mid 16th c.]
    Synonyms: echeneid, echeneidid, sharksucker, suckerfish, suckfish, (obsolete) suckstone
    • 1832, “Room XI. General Collection of Fish and Corals.”, in Synopsis of the Contents of the British Museum, 26th edition, London: Printed by G[eorge] Woodfall, […], →OCLC, page 86:
      The Remoræ (Echeneisidæ) form the last family of the soft-finned, subbrachian fishes. They are characterized at once by the top of their heads being flattened, and furnished with transverse series of cartilaginous plates, somewhat similar to the plates under the toes of the Gecko, by which these fish attach themselves to ships, rocks, and marine bodies.
    • 1839, P. Evers, “On the Muscular System in the Vertebrata. [Pisces.]”, in The Student’s Compendium of Comparative Anatomy (Dunglison’s American Medical Library), Philadelphia, Pa.: Printed and published by A. Waldie, […], →OCLC, page 42:
      The remora, lump-sucker, and others are provided with a muscular disk in the form of a sucker, by which they adhere to other fish or bodies moving through the water: [...]
    • 1866, Philip Abraham, “Forest Glinton. A Character, from Life.”, in Autumn Gatherings, being a Collection of Prose and Poetry. Sacred and Secular, London: Published by and for the author, […], →OCLC, pages 99–100:
      [...] I could not but notice, with some degree of curiosity, the gradual approaches of one of these remorae of society into the good graces of as genuine an English family as ever left the fat fields of Suffolk to pay for peeping at foreign novelty.
    • 2012, Christopher Mac Lairn, “Vulturnus”, in The Spirit of Vengeance, [Bloomngton, Ind.]: Xlibris, →ISBN, page 53:
      It was all genuine footage of various kinds of ray-fish: first a manta gliding just below the surface of a purple sea near the coast of Argentina. He glided there amongst the light beams that penetrated the water like daggers stabbing into it, while remorae skirted among his wing-fins.
    • 2018, Dagmar Fertl, André M. Landry, “Remoras”, in Bernd Würsig, J. G. M. Thewissen, and Kit M. Kovacs, editors, Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, 3rd edition, London, San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press, →ISBN, page 793, column 1:
      The tenacity with which remoras attach to their hosts is best illustrated by the practice of sea turtle fishing by fishermen in the Caribbean and off China and northern Australia [...], and in Yemen and Kenya, where it continues to this day. A fisherman ties a line around the tail of a remora and throws the fish into the water. The remora tightly attaches itself to a turtle, and the remora and its "catch" are then hauled ashore.
  2. (heraldry) A serpent.
    • 1766 July 23, [Edward] Kimber, “Barons”, in The Peerage of England. […], volume 60, London: Printed for H[enry] Woodfall, […], →OCLC, page 217:
      LORD SCARSDALE. [...] On the dexter ſide, the figure of Prudence repreſented by a woman, habited argent, mantled azure, holding in her ſiniſter hand a javelin entwined with a remora proper; [...]
  3. (obsolete) A delay; a hindrance, an obstacle.
    • 1605, Francis Bacon, “The Second Booke”, in The Twoo Bookes of Francis Bacon. Of the Proficience and Aduancement of Learning, Diuine and Humane, London: […] [Thomas Purfoot and Thomas Creede] for Henrie Tomes, […], →OCLC, folios 29, recto – 29, verso:
      For to ſay [...] That the ſolidneſſe of the Earth is for the ſtation and Manſion of liuing creatures: and the like, is well inquired & collected in METAPHISICKE, but in PHISICKE they are impertinent. Nay, they are indeed but Remoraes and hinderances to ſtay and ſlugge the Shippe from furder ſayling, and haue brought this to paſſe, that the ſearch of the Phiſicall Cauſes hath beene neglected.
    • 1643, William Prynne, “The Soveraigne Power of Parliaments & Kingdomes. […]”, in The Soveraigne Power of Parliaments and Kingdomes: […], London: […] Michael Sparke Senior, →OCLC, page 29:
      [H]is Majeſty, long ſince weary of the yoke of all Parliaments, (the only Remora to his abſolute intended Monarchy) and repenting of the Act for continuing this, [...] is now reſolved (in proſecution of his priſtine Counſels) by force or policy to diſſolve this Parliament in diſcontent, [...]
    • 1644, J[ohn] M[ilton], chapter VIII, in The Doctrine or Discipline of Divorce: […], 2nd edition, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, book I, page 20:
      What mighty and inviſible Remora is this in Matrimony able to demurre, and to contemne all the divorſive engines in heaven or earth.
    • 1848, Charles Hastings, Robert J. N. Streeten, “CONSTIPATION”, in Robley Dunglison, reviser, edited by John Forbes, Alexander Tweedie, and John Conolly, The Cyclopædia of Practical Medicine: […] In Four Volumes, volumes I (Abdomen–Emmenagogues), Philadelphia, Pa.: Lea and Blanchard, →OCLC, paragraph 4, page 480, column 2:
      Increased tone of the muscular fibres of the middle coat of the intestines may not infrequently give rise to a remora in the passage of their contents, and the effect of many of that class of medicines called astringents appears to be owing to their tonic powers.
    • 1855, “Report on the Diseases of Missouri and Iowa”, in The Transactions of the American Medical Association, volume VIII, Philadelphia, Pa.: Printed for the [American Medical] Association, by T. K. and P. G. Collins, →OCLC, page 103:
      The local remoræ of blood which occur in cholera infantum here, will not bear, as a general practice, the abstraction of blood for their relief; they are more under the control of revellent remedies, not of a depletive kind.
  4. (obsolete, surgery) A surgical instrument, intended to retain parts in their places.
    • [1833, Robley Dunglison, “Rem′ora”, in A New Dictionary of Medical Science and Literature, […], volumes II (M–Z), Boston, Mass.: […] [E. W. Metcalf and Company] for Charles Bowen, →OCLC, page 429, column 1:
      Rem′ora [...] The name of two surgical instruments, intended to retain parts in situ. The one was used, formerly, in castration, to prevent the intestines from protruding at the inguinal ring: the other, called Rem′ora Hilda′ni, (F[rench]) Arrêt d'Hildan, εχενηις, was employed to retain fractures and luxations reduced. It is not now used.]

Hyponyms

Translations

References

  1. ^ “remora”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

Anagrams

Cebuano

Etymology

Borrowed from English remora, borrowed from Latin remora (“delay, hindrance, passive resistance”).

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: re‧mo‧ra

Noun

remora

  1. a remora; any of various elongate brown fish from the family Echeneidae, the dorsal fin of which is in the form of a suction disc that can take a firm hold against the skin of larger marine animals

Italian

Noun

remora f (plural remore)

  1. hesitation, scruple
  2. remora (fish)

Anagrams

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