fish

1 of 2

noun

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)
b
: fellow, person
an odd fish
c
: sucker sense 5a
felt sorry for the poor fish
4
: something that resembles a fish: such as
a
Fish or Fishes plural : pisces sense 1
b
: torpedo sense 1b
The submarine's fish hit the freighter.
fishless adjective
fishlike adjective

Illustration of fish

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

fish

2 of 2

verb

fished; fishing; fishes

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

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
fishability noun
fishable adjective
Phrases
fish out of water
: a person who is in an unnatural or uncomfortable sphere or situation
The country boy felt like a fish out of water in the big city.
fish to fry
: concerns or interests to pursue
usually used with other
can't deal with that problem now; we've got other fish to fry right now
neither fish nor fowl
: one that does not belong to a particular class or category
The movie is neither fish nor fowl—it's not really a comedy, but it's too light-hearted to be called a drama.
fish or cut bait
: to make a choice between alternatives

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
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

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.

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
fishlike adjective

fish

2 of 2 verb
1
: 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

Fish

biographical name

Hamilton 1808–1893 American statesman

More from Merriam-Webster on fish

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