swim bladder

noun

: the air bladder of a fish

Examples of swim bladder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When anglers reel up a snapper from deep water, the fish’s swim bladder often expands, leaving it unable to swim back down. — Tovar Cerulli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026

Vaquitas continued to be caught and unintentionally killed when fishers used these nets to target totoaba fish for their swim bladder—the part of a fish that regulates buoyancy—for sale in Chinese black markets. — Ryan Green, Scientific American, 6 Nov. 2025

Valued for their swim bladders, or fish maw, fish in the Sciaenidae family fetch high prices in international markets. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Many fish have a muscle that can vibrate the swim bladder in a way similar to a human’s vocal cords, generating sounds. — Yan Zhuang, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for swim bladder

• gallbladder
• stepladder
• adder
• ladder
• madder
• sadder

Kids Definition

swim bladder

noun

: a gas-filled expandable sac in fish that serves especially to regulate buoyancy which allows fish to remain at different depths without sinking