blacktip shark

noun

black·​tip shark ˈblak-ˌtip- How to pronounce blacktip shark (audio)
variants or blacktip or less commonly black-tipped shark
: a small, grayish requiem shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) with black-tipped fins that is widely distributed in coastal tropical and subtropical seas
The vast majority of shark bites are from so-called hit-and-run attacks by smaller species, such as blacktip sharks. They mistake thrashing arms or dangling feet as a prey item, dart in, bite and let go when they realize it's not a fish.Tim Friend

Examples of blacktip shark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Unlike a blacktip shark, which eats smaller fish whole and would likely leave just small puncture wounds on a human, bull shark bites are typically much more severe, said Grubbs, the Florida State University expert. Rick Jervis, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2024 Smaller sharks, including blacktip sharks, can be key menu items for larger sharks, such as great hammerheads. Michael Heithaus, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2024 The boy dove onto a blacktip shark, which witnesses said was 4 to 5 feet long, CBS affiliate WKMG reported. CBS News, 9 July 2024 The first instance occurred in January 2022, when a drone recorded two orcas swimming near a blacktip shark. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 18 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for blacktip shark 

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blacktip shark was in 1916

Dictionary Entries Near blacktip shark

Cite this Entry

“Blacktip shark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blacktip%20shark. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.

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