Illustration of fish
- 1 mandible
- 2 nasal opening
- 3 eye
- 4 cheek
- 5 operculum
- 6 dorsal fins
- 7 lateral line
- 8 caudal fin
- 9 scales
- 10 anal fin
- 11 anus
- 12 pectoral fin
- 13 pelvic fin
- 14 maxilla
- 15 premaxilla
- 16 upper jaw
plural fish or fishes
often attributive
1
a
: an aquatic animal
—usually used in combination
starfish
cuttlefish
b
: 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 caudal sense 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)
c
: sucker sense 5a
felt sorry for the poor fish
4
: something that resembles a fish: such as
a
b
: torpedo sense 1b
The submarine's fish hit the freighter.
fished; fishing; fishes
1
: to attempt to catch fish
2
: to seek something by roundabout means
fishing for a compliment
3
a
: to search for something underwater
fish for pearls
b
: to engage in a search by groping or feeling
fishing around in her purse for her keys
1
a
: to try to catch fish in
b
: to fish with : use (something, such as a boat, a net, or bait) in fishing
2
a
: to go fishing for
fish salmon
b
: to pull or draw as if fishing
fished the ball from under the car
fish wires through a conduit
Synonyms
Examples of fish in a Sentence
Noun
We're having fish for dinner.
he's rather an odd fish
Verb
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
Koh Ewe, TIME, 15 Apr. 2024
The mom of two also posted photos on her Instagram Stories the day prior of Sterling visiting a lake with some friends as the group watched fishes swimming along the surface of the water.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
To herd fish near the water’s surface, the whales use a herding strategy called the carousel method.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
Inspectors saw fish improperly thawing and raw fish in a display cooler.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024
Along with a mercury-free fish, Heffetz said the goal is also to replicate its (pollution-free) nutritional profile and make a product rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.
—Vivian Song, Robb Report, 12 Apr. 2024
Humpback whales feed on krill and small fish, and strain huge volumes of water through the baleen plates in their mouths, which act as a filter-feeding system.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Urbina was charged four years after the 2017 gun sale, because prosecutors had bigger fish to fry.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
The destruction in reef habitats have led fish stocks around Thitu to drop by more than two-thirds in numbers since 1993, according to the Philippines' Kalayaan municipal government, which oversees Thitu.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 11 Apr. 2024
Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
This angler is usually fishing still or slow water.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 4 Apr. 2024
Pond hopping, a method of fishing multiple ponds throughout a day, has become extremely popular over the last decade.
—Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 3 Apr. 2024
Something strange is happening to fish off the coast of Florida.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
The grounds are also home to a spa, fishing on the lake, and a saltwater pool.
—Perri Ormont Blumberg, Travel + Leisure, 27 Mar. 2024
Customers at the gas station mart still talk about how townies would fish in the Gulf on warm days, and the women who work alongside Smith tell old stories about people who are long gone.
—Nidhi Sharma, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024
Her father, John Oscar Grade, was a popular family-practice doctor who hunted, fished and grew prodigious gardens.
—Kim Severson, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024
There also is a stream — Little Deer Creek — near the base that is closed to fishing due to high levels, according to an advisory.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
The grisly aftermath: throngs of dead fish lining the river bank.
—Koh Ewe, TIME, 15 Apr. 2024
The mom of two also posted photos on her Instagram Stories the day prior of Sterling visiting a lake with some friends as the group watched fishes swimming along the surface of the water.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
To herd fish near the water’s surface, the whales use a herding strategy called the carousel method.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
Inspectors saw fish improperly thawing and raw fish in a display cooler.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024
Along with a mercury-free fish, Heffetz said the goal is also to replicate its (pollution-free) nutritional profile and make a product rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.
—Vivian Song, Robb Report, 12 Apr. 2024
Humpback whales feed on krill and small fish, and strain huge volumes of water through the baleen plates in their mouths, which act as a filter-feeding system.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
Urbina was charged four years after the 2017 gun sale, because prosecutors had bigger fish to fry.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
The destruction in reef habitats have led fish stocks around Thitu to drop by more than two-thirds in numbers since 1993, according to the Philippines' Kalayaan municipal government, which oversees Thitu.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 11 Apr. 2024
Verb
There are some rules, however, about fishing the waters around the Sunshine State.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
This angler is usually fishing still or slow water.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 4 Apr. 2024
Pond hopping, a method of fishing multiple ponds throughout a day, has become extremely popular over the last decade.
—Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 3 Apr. 2024
Something strange is happening to fish off the coast of Florida.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
The grounds are also home to a spa, fishing on the lake, and a saltwater pool.
—Perri Ormont Blumberg, Travel + Leisure, 27 Mar. 2024
Customers at the gas station mart still talk about how townies would fish in the Gulf on warm days, and the women who work alongside Smith tell old stories about people who are long gone.
—Nidhi Sharma, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024
Her father, John Oscar Grade, was a popular family-practice doctor who hunted, fished and grew prodigious gardens.
—Kim Severson, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024
There also is a stream — Little Deer Creek — near the base that is closed to fishing due to high levels, according to an advisory.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Mar. 2024
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
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of fish was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing fish
Dictionary Entries Near fish
Cite this Entry
“Fish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fish. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
fish
1 of 2 noun
plural fish or fishes
1
a
: 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
2
: the flesh of fish used as food
fish
2 of 2 verb1
: to catch or try to catch fish
2
a
: to catch or try to catch fish in
fish the stream
b
: to search for something underwater
fishing for pearls
3
: to seek something by or as if by groping or feeling
fished for compliments
fished in his pocket for change
Biographical Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on fish
Nglish: Translation of fish for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of fish for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fish
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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