Polypterus
/pəˈlɪpt(ə)rəs/Zoology
noun
A genus of African freshwater fishes of the family Polypteridae; (also polypterus) a fish of this genus; a bichir.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. From scientific Latin Polypterus, genus name (B. G. E. de la V. de Lacépède Hist. nat. des poissons V. 340, after French polyptère) from ancient Greek πολύπτερος many-winged from πολυ- + -πτερος.
- like a deer (or rabbit) in the headlights
- like a demon
- like a dog with two tails
- like a dose of salts
- like a dream
- like a drowned rat
- like a headless chicken
- like a (hot) knife through butter
- like a lamb to the slaughter
- like a leech
- like a man (or woman) possessed
- like a moth to the flame
- like anything
- like a rat up a drainpipe
- like a ripe plum (or ripe plums)
- like a scalded cat
- like a shag on a rock
- like a shot
- like a streak
- like a stunned mullet
- like a ton of bricks
- like blazes
- like blue murder
- like clockwork
- like crazy