barracuda

noun

bar·​ra·​cu·​da ˌber-ə-ˈkü-də 

ˌba-rə-

plural barracuda or barracudas

1

: any of a genus (Sphyraena of the family Sphyraenidae) of elongate predaceous often large bony fishes of warm seas that includes food and sport fishes as well as some forms frequently causing ciguatera poisoning

2

: one that uses aggressive, selfish, and sometimes unethical methods to obtain a goal especially in business

Synonyms

• fire-breather
• fire-eater
• pit bull
• tiger

Examples of barracuda in a Sentence

The company's lawyers are a bunch of barracudas.

the governor-elect is too nice and easygoing, so he'll need a barracuda as his chief of staff

Recent Examples on the Web

There, guests can swim amid psychedelic colored wrasses and butterflyfish, and backstroke with barracudas and reef sharks. —Jordan Riefe, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2025

Photo by Rita Harper Day 4: Fly over alligators, bite into barracuda, and hunt antiques Grab a quick (but exceptional) quiche at the hotel Columns before a 20-minute drive to the Maurepas Swamp, northwest of New Orleans. —Jenny Adams, AFAR Media, 11 Feb. 2025

On a rocky outcropping by the water, fishermen like to gather to catch blue runner, mangrove snapper, grunt, barracuda and occasionally a blue crab. —Nicolas Rivero, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025

Those fish can include barracuda, moray eel, sea bass and others. —Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

barracuda

noun

bar·​ra·​cu·​da ˌbar-ə-ˈküd-ə 

plural barracuda or barracudas

: any of several large fierce marine fishes of warm seas that have strong jaws and sharp teeth and that include some used for food