swordfish

noun

sword·​fish ˈsȯrd-ˌfish How to pronounce swordfish (audio)
: a very large scombroid fish (Xiphias gladius of the family Xiphiidae) that has a long swordlike beak formed by the bones of the upper jaw and is an important food and game fish

Illustration of swordfish

Illustration of swordfish

Examples of swordfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The medieval hilltop town has plentiful accommodation options, along with charming seafood spots and wine bars serving local swordfish and crisp Sardinian whites. Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2024 While fishes like swordfish and sawsharks wield dramatic upper-jaw protrusions, very few species possess elongated lower jaw protrusions. Jack Tamisiea, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024 Shark is covertly used as an alternative for expensive seafood, such as swordfish, according to National Geographic. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Jan. 2024 Many of these are important fishery species, such as jack mackerel and swordfish, while others are rare and cannot be found elsewhere in the ocean. Priya Shukla, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Along with the stories of incredible catches, like the day Smith’s charter landed three yellowfin tuna double-headers fishing off Miami or his angler who caught a swordfish on a fly rod, there is information on the tackle and tactics that Smith uses to catch those different species. Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky escaped to Tavarua, a small island resort in Fiji, where the hunky actor took their son on a full-day fishing trip and caught a swordfish big enough to feed the local village, while his Spanish actress-model wife surfed and snorkeled. Beth Landman, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Jan. 2024 On separate days, hotel manager Elias Stamatopoulos prepared divine ceviche from whole tuna and swordfish sourced from Naples, Italy. Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2023 With some species comparable in size to today’s tuna or swordfish, these were not tiny. Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 20 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swordfish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of swordfish was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near swordfish

Cite this Entry

“Swordfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swordfish. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

swordfish

noun
sword·​fish -ˌfish How to pronounce swordfish (audio)
: a very large ocean fish that has a long swordlike beak formed by the bones of the upper jaw and is an important food and game fish

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