billfish

noun

bill·​fish ˈbil-ˌfish How to pronounce billfish (audio)
: a fish with long slender jaws
especially : any of various bony fishes (families Istiophoridae and Xiphiidae) with an elongated tapering upper jaw including marlins, spearfishes, and sailfishes

Examples of billfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The aft cockpit was left open, as on any sportfishing design, while a tower at the top allows captain and crew to sight billfish from a long distance. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 1 Feb. 2024 The research team, including David W. Sims of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, used radio tags to study the hunting patterns of fourteen species of open-ocean predatory fish, including sharks, tuna, billfish, and ocean sunfish. Joseph Calamia, Discover Magazine, 10 June 2010 Distribution and Habitat Sailfish are one of the most abundant billfish in the U.S., and though they can be caught as far north as Cape Cod, Florida is hailed as the sailfish capital of the States. Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 9 Nov. 2023 Witness the largest billfish tournament in the world with live music, beach tennis, food and drinks, corn hole tournament and a livestream of the fishing tournament weigh-ins. Hailey Closson, Baltimore Sun, 1 Aug. 2023 See all Example Sentences for billfish 

Word History

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of billfish was in 1782

Dictionary Entries Near billfish

Cite this Entry

“Billfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/billfish. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

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