: 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.
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Noun
Sure, there was an artificial fish powered by human heart cells and a robot that used a locust's ear to hear, but in terms of the practical use of the technology, the field has remained somewhat empty.—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 14 Feb. 2025 The restaurant’s Oyster Mushroom Ceviche was a yummy vegan dish with hearty mushrooms instead of fish.—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
There were six people aboard, years-long friends from the small town of Sagua La Grande who loved to fish and go to the beach together.—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025 Prior to that, Connor's Instagram was flooded with posts over the years of him fishing on the Florida Coast.—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for fish
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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