: 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 (see caudalsense 2) 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 oxygenated
freshwater fish
tropical fish
2
: the flesh of fish used as food
We're having fish for dinner.
3
a
: a person who is caught or is wanted (as in a criminal investigation)
Noun
We're having fish for dinner.
he's rather an odd fishVerb
We spent the afternoon fishing for trout.
They fished the stream all morning.
She was fishing around in her purse for her keys.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Wrapping an ear, a bendy and floppy thing, is like putting a sweater on a fish.—Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 20 July 2024 Being a Black woman, I’m used to carrying negativity on my back, fighting, being a fish swimming upstream by myself.—EW.com, 20 July 2024
Verb
There's a kid-sized sailboat where children can pretend to fish, as well as a pretend doctor office, pretend shoe store, pretend lemonade stand and a pretend classroom.—Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 22 July 2024 On top is a sheet of orange, wild Icelandic capelin fish roe.—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for fish
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English, from Old English fisc; akin to Old High German fisc fish, Latin piscis
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
: a water-dwelling animal—usually used in combination
starfish
cuttlefish
b
: a cold-blooded vertebrate animal with a typically long scaly tapering body, limbs developed as fins, and a vertical tail fin that lives and breathes in water
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