Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
Frostfish
\Frost`fish"\, n. (Zool.) (a) The tomcod; -- so called because it is abundant on the New England coast in autumn at about the commencement of frost. See
Tomcod. (b) The smelt. [Local, U. S.] (c) A name applied in New Zealand to the scabbard fish (
Lepidotus) valued as a food fish.
[1913 Webster]
Scabbard
\Scab"bard\, n. [OE. scaubert, scauberk, OF. escaubers, escauberz, pl., scabbards, probably of German or Scan. origin; cf. Icel. sk[=a]lpr scabbard, and G. bergen to conceal. Cf.
Hauberk.] The case in which the blade of a sword, dagger, etc., is kept; a sheath.
[1913 Webster]Nor in thy scabbard sheathe that famous blade. --Fairfax. [1913 Webster]
Scabbard fish (Zool.), a long, compressed, silver-colored taenioid fish (Lepidopus argyreus syn. Lepidopus caudatus), found on the European coasts, and more abundantly about New Zealand, where it is called frostfish and considered an excellent food fish. [1913 Webster]
Tomcod
\Tom"cod`\ (t[o^]m"k[o^]d`), n. [Tom (see
Tomboy) + cod: cf. F. tacaud whiting pout, American Indian tacaud, literally, plenty fish.] (Zool.) (a) A small edible American fish (
Microgadus tomcod) of the Codfish family, very abundant in autumn on the Atlantic coast of the Northen United States; -- called also
frostfish. See Illust. under
Frostfish. (b) The kingfish. See
Kingfish (a) . (c) The jack. See 2d
Jack, 8. (c) .
[1913 Webster]
cutlass fish \cutlass fish\, cutlassfish \cutlassfish\n.
1.(Zool.) a peculiar, long, thin, marine fish (Trichiurus lepturus) of the southern United States and West Indies, having a long whiplike scaleless body and sharp daggerlike teeth; -- called also frostfish, saber fish, silver eel, and, improperly, swordfish; also, several related members of the genus Trichiurus. It is closely related to snake mackerel.
Syn: frost fish, frostfish, hairtail. [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]