ˈmolebut Obs. rare.
Forms: 6–7 molebout; in Dicts. 7 moleboute, -baut, -but(t, erron. -pout, 8 -bat.
[a. F. molebout.
Said by Rondelet (De Pisc. Mar. 1554) to be a compound of the Proven{cced}al (Marseilles) name mole (which he says is from the L. mola, millstone, with allusion to the shape of the fish) and the Spanish synonym bout. Cf. mola1 2 and mole n.6; with the second element, which cannot be Sp. or even Cat., cf. OF. (12th c.) tourbout turbot, and butt n.1]
The sun-fish, Orthagoriscus mola; = mole n.6 1.
| 1598 Florio, Bota, a fish that grunteth called a Molebout. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 429 The greatest of all other fishes is the Mole-bout. 1659 Torriano, Bóta, a..Mole-pout. 1668 Charleton Onomasticon 129 Mola..the Molebut. 1672 J. Josselyn New Eng. Rarities 29 Porpuise or Porpiss, Molebut, Sea Hog, Sus Marinus, Tursion. 1678 Phillips (ed. 4), Mole-butt. See Porpus. 1736 Ainsworth Lat. Dict., A molebat (fish) Orthragoriscus. |