What is "cowfish"

Grampus \Gram"pus\, n.; pl. Grampuses. [Probably corrupted from It. gran pesce great fish, or Sp. gran pez, or Pg. gran peixe, all fr. L. grandis piscis. See Grand, and Fish. the animal.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) A toothed delphinoid cetacean, of the genus Grampus, esp. G. griseus of Europe and America, which is valued for its oil. It grows to be fifteen to twenty feet long; its color is gray with white streaks. Called also cowfish. The California grampus is G. Stearnsii.

2. A kind of tongs used in a bloomery. [U.S.]

n. 1 Any of various types of boxfish, family Ostraciidae. 2 The grampus, (taxlink Grampus griseus species noshow=1), (vern: Risso's dolphin). 3 A (vern: common bottlenose dolphin) of California, (taxlink Tursiops truncatus gillii subspecies noshow=1). 4 A marine plectognath fish, (taxlink Acanthostracion quadricornis species noshow=1) and allied species, having two projections, like horns, in front.

1. n. trunkfish having hornlike spines over the eyes [syn: Lactophrys quadricornis]

2. [also: cowfishes (pl)]