swordfish

noun

sword·​fish ˈsȯrd-ˌfish 

: a very large scombroid fish (Xiphias gladius of the family Xiphiidae) that has a long swordlike beak formed by the bones of the upper jaw and is an important food and game fish

Illustration of swordfish

Examples of swordfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dogfish have fewer electroreceptors than many open-water species such as blacktips and oceanic whitetips, which are susceptible to longlines meant for tuna and swordfish. —Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026

The moon rose early that day and Smith’s anglers caught a massive 546-pound swordfish. —Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 14 Dec. 2025

That’s the result of the creatures’ deep-sea diet of heavy metal-eating tuna and swordfish. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025

Plates of spaghetti vongole and penne puttanesca were consumed, along with heaping portions of swordfish and prawns, calamari, and clams. —Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 29 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for swordfish

• bluefish
• catfish
• codfish
• crawfish
• dogfish
• finfish
• flatfish
• goldfish
• groundfish
• kingfish
• offish
• redfish

Kids Definition

swordfish

noun

sword·​fish -ˌfish 

: a very large ocean fish that has a long swordlike beak formed by the bones of the upper jaw and is an important food and game fish