: 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
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Minnesota has been expanding its catch-and-release program over the last few years, and the DNR established a bowfin category in 2024, with a minimum length requirement of 31 inches.
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Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2025
And while bowfins are relatively harmless, the northern snakehead is known to ravage ecosystems.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2025
Snakeheads are often confused with a native species—the bowfin—but anglers can tell them apart by looking at the anal fin, which is much longer on a snakehead.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025
The first step is to identify the snakehead, which can be easily mistaken for the bowfin, another type of native fish found in Missouri waters.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2024
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Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2025
And while bowfins are relatively harmless, the northern snakehead is known to ravage ecosystems.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2025
Snakeheads are often confused with a native species—the bowfin—but anglers can tell them apart by looking at the anal fin, which is much longer on a snakehead.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025
The first step is to identify the snakehead, which can be easily mistaken for the bowfin, another type of native fish found in Missouri waters.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 7 June 2024
Cite this Entry
“Bowfin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bowfin. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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