piranha

noun

pi·​ra·​nha pə-ˈrä-nə How to pronounce piranha (audio)
-ˈrän-yə,
-ˈran- How to pronounce piranha (audio)
plural piranhas or piranha
: any of various usually small South American characin fishes (genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus) that have very sharp teeth, often appear in schools, and include some that may attack and inflict dangerous wounds upon humans and large animals

called also caribe

Examples of piranha in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The set also includes two coins inspired by the classic game, in addition to a buildable brick pipe to place the piranha in. Kelsey Fredricks, People.com, 10 Oct. 2024 When Carrie’s first period arrives in the school showers, her classmates react with all the empathy of a piranha feeding frenzy. Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2024 As Richard, the deceased father of Jenna Ortega’s Astrid Deetz, Santiago Cabrera got a combination of prosthetics and makeup for the puppet piranha fish biting at his face, neck and body. Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2024 The artwork joins the anonymous painter’s previous works — featuring monkeys, elephants, piranhas and more — scattered throughout the city. Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 12 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for piranha 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'piranha.' 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

Portuguese, from Tupi pirã́ja, pirã́nʸa, from pirá fish + ã́ja, ã́nʸa tooth

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of piranha was in 1861

Dictionary Entries Near piranha

Cite this Entry

“Piranha.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piranha. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

piranha

noun
pi·​ra·​nha pə-ˈran-yə How to pronounce piranha (audio) -ˈrän-(y)ə How to pronounce piranha (audio)
: any of various usually small flesh-eating South American freshwater fishes that have very sharp teeth, often occur in groups, and include some that may attack human beings and animals in the water

More from Merriam-Webster on piranha

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!