dorsal fin

dorsal fin ExamplesWord Origin noun

1. the fin or finlike integumentary expansion generally developed on the back of aquatic vertebrates.

Origin of dorsal fin First recorded in 1760–70 Examples from the Web for dorsal fin Historical Examples of dorsal fin

In the figure there is represented the cross-section of a fish (its dorsal-fin D) just before the spear strikes.

Along Alaska’s Great River

Frederick Schwatka

British Dictionary definitions for dorsal fin dorsal fin noun

1. any unpaired median fin on the backs of fishes and some other aquatic vertebrates: maintains balance during locomotion