shiner

noun

shin·​er ˈshī-nər How to pronounce shiner (audio)
1
: one that shines
2
: a silvery fish
especially : any of numerous small freshwater American cyprinid fishes (especially genus Notropis) compare golden shiner
3

Examples of shiner in a Sentence

He got a shiner during a fight at school.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Had genetic analysis not been done to determine the parentage of these fish, appearances would have suggested that the red shiner had just pushed its relatives out. Richard Pallardy, Ars Technica, 30 July 2024 Intriguingly, many of the hybrids most closely resemble the red shiner—a phenomenon called cryptic introgression. Richard Pallardy, Ars Technica, 30 July 2024 In an emotional scene between Roger and Aren, Roger tells the story of going to see his dad, a shoe shiner, in town as a child and witnessing a white man spit on his dad’s head. Gloria Alamrew, refinery29.com, 22 Jan. 2024 Minnows: Big minnows, such as fatheads, shiners, or shadlings, run neck-and-neck with nightcrawlers as top-notch ‘eye bait. M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 20 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for shiner 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shiner was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near shiner

Cite this Entry

“Shiner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shiner. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

shiner

noun
shin·​er ˈshī-nər How to pronounce shiner (audio)
1
: one that shines
2
: a silvery fish
especially : any of numerous small freshwater American fishes related to the carp
3

Medical Definition

shiner

noun
shin·​er ˈshī-nər How to pronounce shiner (audio)
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!