swim bladder

noun

: the air bladder of a fish

Examples of swim bladder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The fifth rib is pulled forward during muscle contractions, which creates tension on the drumming cartilage, before the cartilage is released to strike the swim bladder. Scott Travers, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2024 Poachers were cutting into the fishes' bellies onshore, pulling out the swim bladder and leaving the big animals on the sand to rot in the sun. Erik Vance, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2017 The people charged with policing poachers are not trained to identify body parts such as swim bladders from particular animals. Erik Vance, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2017 In this case, the quick release of pressure causes the gasses within a fishes body to expand, often causing the stomach to be pushed out through the mouth - a different mechanism to that observed in sharks (which don’t have a swim bladder). Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for swim bladder 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swim bladder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of swim bladder was in 1837

Dictionary Entries Near swim bladder

Cite this Entry

“Swim bladder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swim%20bladder. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

swim bladder

noun
: a gas-filled expandable sac in fish that serves especially to regulate buoyancy which allows fish to remain at different depths without sinking

More from Merriam-Webster on swim bladder

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