bowfin

noun

bow·​fin ˈbō-ˌfin How to pronounce bowfin (audio)
: a predaceous dull-green iridescent North American freshwater fish (Amia calva) that is the only surviving member of an order (Amiiformes) dating back to the Jurassic

Examples of bowfin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Wisconsin angler Tanner Peterson has the rare distinction of being the first person in the state to harvest a golden bowfin. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 13 Mar. 2024 Like bowfin, snakeheads have hard mouths and jaws, but the bigger issues are their teeth and bite force. Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 24 Aug. 2023 During the Late Jurassic of what is now southeastern Utah, a bowfin fish attempts to sneak up on a frog floating at the surface of a pond, along with leaves of ginkgophytes, while another bowfin regurgitates part of a recent meal of frogs and a salamander. Jordan Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 Sep. 2022 The lake hosts major fishing tournaments and claims the state record for the biggest smallmouth buffalo and bowfin. Outside Online, 7 Mar. 2022 The likely source of the vomit was an ancient bowfin fish, which may have regurgitated its most recent meal to distract a predator in pursuit 150 million years ago — when this area of southeastern Utah was a swampy marshland. Jordan Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 Sep. 2022 Traditional caviar service goes full bayou here, where spicy bowfin caviar is accompanied with crème fraîche, chives and a bag of Zapps potato chips. Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 9 Mar. 2022 Each year there are several bowfin caught from nearby Lake Marburg just outside of Hanover, Pennsylvania. Jim Gronaw, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 14 Nov. 2021 Snakeheads are easy to confuse with native fish such as the bowfin and the burbot, state officials said, releasing a chart that shows physical differences among the species. BostonGlobe.com, 3 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bowfin.' 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

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bowfin was in 1845

Dictionary Entries Near bowfin

Cite this Entry

“Bowfin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bowfin. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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