: any of numerous cold-blooded strictly aquatic craniate vertebrates that include the bony fishes and usually the cartilaginous and jawless fishes and that have typically an elongated somewhat spindle-shaped body terminating in a broad caudal (see caudalsense 2) fin, limbs in the form of fins when present at all, and a 2-chambered heart by which blood is sent through thoracic gills to be oxygenated
freshwater fish
tropical fish
2
: the flesh of fish used as food
We're having fish for dinner.
3
a
: a person who is caught or is wanted (as in a criminal investigation)
Noun
We're having fish for dinner.
he's rather an odd fishVerb
We spent the afternoon fishing for trout.
They fished the stream all morning.
She was fishing around in her purse for her keys.
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Noun
Lake County staff will be on-site to assist with baiting hooks, removing fish, species identification, and other environmental and educational components.—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2025 Of the approximately $450 billion in China exports to the U.S. in 2023, some examples are fish accounting for over $1.3 billion, animal and vegetable oils accounting for $850 million, vegetable, fruit and nuts accounting for $1.3 billion.—Phil Lempert, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
Raw beef was stored above raw sushi fish in a freezer, and a bag of sugar was being kept on the kitchen floor.—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025 Investigators with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office determined that the boys were fishing 30 feet from Elkins' property.—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fish
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English, from Old English fisc; akin to Old High German fisc fish, Latin piscis
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
: a water-dwelling animal—usually used in combination
starfish
cuttlefish
b
: a cold-blooded vertebrate animal with a typically long scaly tapering body, limbs developed as fins, and a vertical tail fin that lives and breathes in water
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