cuttlefish
UK[ˈkʌtlfɪʃ]US[ˈkʌtlfɪʃ]
n
a sea creature with ten arms and a wide, flat, hard shell inside its body, that can send out a black liquid when in danger
Etymology
the word 'cuttlefish' originates from the middle english term 'codel' or 'cudele', which itself evolved from the old english 'cudele', meaning this particular mollusk. the old english term is likely related to the old norse 'koddi', meaning 'cushion' or 'testicle', and the low german 'kudel', perhaps alluding to the creature's shape or its internal shell, the cuttlebone. the second element, 'fish', is from old english 'fisc', a general term for aquatic animal. over time, the middle english term transformed into 'cuttle', and the compound 'cuttlefish' was formed, distinguishing it from true fish by highlighting its distinctive, soft-bodied nature while using the familiar aquatic label.
Analysis
the word is a compound noun from middle english, but its first element 'cuttle' is not a productive morpheme in modern english and cannot be meaningfully segmented further from the current spelling 'cuttlefish'.
Examples
the artist used a sepia ink derived from the cuttlefish for his drawing.
we saw a cuttlefish rapidly change its color and texture to blend with the seabed.
the cuttlebone, the internal shell of the cuttlefish, is often given to pet birds as a calcium supplement.