fish

Main Entry:: ¹fish
Pronunciation:: \ˈfish\
Function:: noun
Inflected Form(s):: plural fish or fish·es
Usage:: often attributive
Etymology:: Middle English, from Old English fisc; akin to Old High German fisc fish, Latin piscis
Date:: before 12th century

1 a: an aquatic animal —usually used in combination <starfish><cuttlefish> b: any of numerous cold-blooded strictly aquatic craniate vertebrates that include the bony fishes and usually the cartilaginous and jawless fishes and that have typically an elongated somewhat spindle-shaped body terminating in a broad caudal fin, limbs in the form of fins when present at all, and a 2-chambered heart by which blood is sent through thoracic gills to be oxygenated2: the flesh of fish used as food3 a: a person who is caught or is wanted (as in a criminal investigation) b: fellow , person <an odd fish> c: sucker 5a4: something that resembles a fish: as aplural capitalized : pisces 1 ; also : pisces 2a b: torpedo 2b

— fish·less

\ˈfish-ləs\ adjective

— fish·like

\-ˌlīk\ adjective

— fish out of water

: a person who is in an unnatural or uncomfortable sphere or situation

— fish to fry

: concerns or interests to pursue —usually used with other

— neither fish nor fowl

: one that does not belong to a particular class or category

[fish illustration]

Learn more about "fish" and related topics at Britannica.com

See a map of "fish" in the Visual Thesaurus

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