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
Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 30 Nov. 2023
Eyesight plays a secondary role, especially for flatheads in pursuit of fish.
—Outdoor Life, 30 Nov. 2023
Contains scenes of cooks cutting into fish and other animal flesh.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023
From a mudskipper fish defending its territory and a family of monkeys posing for a Christmas card to a young London fox making the most of a full bin, the 25 unforgettable images from which to choose, explore the beauty of the natural world and the impact of our actions.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
On weekends, partiers pack in for live music and hearty pub grub—order a pie or the fish and chips with dill tartar and mint mushy peas.
—Ann Marie McQueen, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Nov. 2023
The terms of the agreement also provide Fish with access to Primary Waves resources, including their marketing team and publishing infrastructure, including digital strategy, licensing, synch opportunities, and film and TV production.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 28 Nov. 2023
Her Libyan recipe for fried fish with vinegar and onions is well worth making.
—Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2023
Every Southerner knows that a plate of fried shrimp or fish is not complete without a basket of hot hush puppies.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2023
Selika Josiah Talbott, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
The Europeans could only fish east of the line, while the Canadians, Americans and Japanese would fish west of it, limiting their catches to let the population recover.
—Karen Pinchin, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023
The last time Shepard went fishing in rural Broken Bow was with his son, Matthew Shepard, in 1998.
—Jenna Wang, Peoplemag, 21 Nov. 2023
When fishing on the eastern side of South America, Chinese squid ships typically restock in the Uruguayan port of Montevideo.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
Although historically only courts or their grand juries could issue subpoenas, the law grants the state’s attorney general a subpoena power to fish through private documents.
—Philip Hamburger, WSJ, 1 Nov. 2023
Constructed from eco-friendly and water-resistant materials, this advent calendar features tackle designed for fishing in various waters, including rivers, lakes, and the sea.
Price at time of publish: $12.99 (orig.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 18 Nov. 2023
The report, published Wednesday, found that a quarter of vessels suspected of abusing workers are flagged to China, whose distant water fleet dominates fishing on the high seas, traditionally lawless areas beyond the jurisdiction of any single country.
—Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2023
The report, published Nov. 15, found that a quarter of vessels suspected of abusing workers are flagged to China, whose distant water fleet dominates fishing on the high seas, traditionally lawless areas beyond the jurisdiction of any single country.
—Joshua Goodman, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Nov. 2023
See More
Noun
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the fish is wide-ranging in off-shore waters, but the adults tend to congregate on the ocean floor where they aren’t commonly caught.
—Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 30 Nov. 2023
Eyesight plays a secondary role, especially for flatheads in pursuit of fish.
—Outdoor Life, 30 Nov. 2023
Contains scenes of cooks cutting into fish and other animal flesh.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2023
From a mudskipper fish defending its territory and a family of monkeys posing for a Christmas card to a young London fox making the most of a full bin, the 25 unforgettable images from which to choose, explore the beauty of the natural world and the impact of our actions.
—Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
On weekends, partiers pack in for live music and hearty pub grub—order a pie or the fish and chips with dill tartar and mint mushy peas.
—Ann Marie McQueen, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Nov. 2023
The terms of the agreement also provide Fish with access to Primary Waves resources, including their marketing team and publishing infrastructure, including digital strategy, licensing, synch opportunities, and film and TV production.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 28 Nov. 2023
Her Libyan recipe for fried fish with vinegar and onions is well worth making.
—Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2023
Every Southerner knows that a plate of fried shrimp or fish is not complete without a basket of hot hush puppies.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2023
Verb
This is for the person who wants to know about the electric vehicle experience on a road trip, the mom who takes her kids to football or soccer practice, the dad who coaches a team and may fish on the weekend.
—Selika Josiah Talbott, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
The Europeans could only fish east of the line, while the Canadians, Americans and Japanese would fish west of it, limiting their catches to let the population recover.
—Karen Pinchin, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023
The last time Shepard went fishing in rural Broken Bow was with his son, Matthew Shepard, in 1998.
—Jenna Wang, Peoplemag, 21 Nov. 2023
When fishing on the eastern side of South America, Chinese squid ships typically restock in the Uruguayan port of Montevideo.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
Although historically only courts or their grand juries could issue subpoenas, the law grants the state’s attorney general a subpoena power to fish through private documents.
—Philip Hamburger, WSJ, 1 Nov. 2023
Constructed from eco-friendly and water-resistant materials, this advent calendar features tackle designed for fishing in various waters, including rivers, lakes, and the sea.
Price at time of publish: $12.99 (orig.
—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 18 Nov. 2023
The report, published Wednesday, found that a quarter of vessels suspected of abusing workers are flagged to China, whose distant water fleet dominates fishing on the high seas, traditionally lawless areas beyond the jurisdiction of any single country.
—Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2023
The report, published Nov. 15, found that a quarter of vessels suspected of abusing workers are flagged to China, whose distant water fleet dominates fishing on the high seas, traditionally lawless areas beyond the jurisdiction of any single country.
—Joshua Goodman, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Nov. 2023
See More
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 8 Dec. 2023.
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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