sawfish

noun

saw·​fish ˈsȯ-ˌfish 

: any of a family (Pristidae) of large elongate rays that resemble sharks but have a long flattened snout with a row of serrate structures along each edge and that live in tropical and subtropical shallow seas and in or near the mouths of rivers

Examples of sawfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This was one of the reasons researchers believed sharks and other cartilaginous fish, including stingrays and sawfish, were silent. —Christopher Cann, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025

Six sawfish deaths were reported in this recent outbreak. —Curt Anderson, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2025

Florida prohibits intentionally capturing, harming or harassing sawfish. —Curt Anderson, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2025

This analysis tracks how the depletion of the largest species—like sawfishes and rhino rays—began in nearshore waters and has since cascaded through the food web, affecting even the deep-sea habitats. —Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sawfish

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

Kids Definition

sawfish

noun

saw·​fish ˈsȯ-ˌfish 

: any of several mostly tropical rays that resemble sharks but have a long flat snout with sharp toothlike structures along both edges