: a marine bony fish (Regalecus glesne) of subtropical waters with a narrow soft body from 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters) long, a red dorsal fin running the entire length of the body, and red-tipped anterior rays rising above the head
Examples of oarfish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the first incident, fishermen in Tamil Nadu, India, pulled a 30-foot oarfish from the water.
—
Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
In late April, the striking carcass of an 11-foot, 2-inch oarfish — something rarely seen in the wild — was put on display, becoming an instant hit among children.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2025
Fewer than 25 oarfish have been found on California beaches since 1901.
—Gary Robbins, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025
The Florida Museum reported that oarfish are only spotted on the surface of the water or in the shallow depths when they are injured or dying.
—Sydney Borchers, Fox News, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oarfish
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
In late April, the striking carcass of an 11-foot, 2-inch oarfish — something rarely seen in the wild — was put on display, becoming an instant hit among children.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2025
Fewer than 25 oarfish have been found on California beaches since 1901.
—Gary Robbins, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025
The Florida Museum reported that oarfish are only spotted on the surface of the water or in the shallow depths when they are injured or dying.
—Sydney Borchers, Fox News, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oarfish
Cite this Entry
“Oarfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oarfish. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share