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fish

fish

888 1.0
An animal that lives in water, breathes with gills, and has fins and scales
  • noun
  • /fɪʃ/
translation icon : pez
  • I just caught this fish on a giant swim bait.
  • fish farm
  • fish species
  • cartilaginous fish

And for example, the fish and the amphibians.

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Examples

  • The fisherman was proud of the large fish he caught during his trip to the lake.

  • If I have caught a fish, I stop and go home.

  • Think of it as a big fish eating a little fish.

  • I know the smell of fish when I smell it.

  • You know, bees come in swarms and fish come in schools.

  • Think of a heavily fished lake; few fish survive to grow to full size.

    Academic text (2011)
  • She hollered out just when I was about to spear me a fish, a big fish.

  • Many people enjoy eating fish because it is a healthy source of protein.

  • At the aquarium, we saw various types of fish swimming in colorful coral reefs.

Synonyms

shark
vsfish
664 1.0

A large sea fish with sharp teeth that eats other animals

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not the cartilaginous predatory type
tuna
vsfish
213 1.0

A large, fast sea fish often eaten fresh or canned

is the broad cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not a single food species
salmon
vsfish
126 1.0

A large fish born in rivers that lives in the sea and returns to lay eggs

is the broad cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not the migratory food species
trout
vsfish
123 1.0

A freshwater fish like a salmon that people often eat

is the broad cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate class, not that specific food species
eel
vsfish
62 1.0

A long, thin fish with a snake-like body that lives in rivers or the sea

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not the elongated body type
catfish
vsfish
60 1.0

A fish with whisker-like feelers often eaten as food

is the broad cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate category, not the barbelled type
herring
vsfish
52 1.4

A small silver fish often eaten smoked, salted, or pickled

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate category, not a particular species
cod
vsfish
36 1.0

A large sea fish with spots that lives in cold waters

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate category rather than one species
skate
vsfish
32 7.9

A large sea fish with wide flat fins often served as food

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate category, not the flattened ray family type
tuna fish
vsfish
24 1.0

A large sea fish that people often eat fresh, grilled or canned

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not that single seafood species
perch
vsfish
8 4.2

A freshwater fish with sharp fins that lives in lakes and rivers

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not that spiny species
kingfish
vsfish
  • US
2 4.2

A large sea fish that people eat and catch for sport

is the broad cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate category rather than a regional food species
codfish
vsfish
1 1.1

A large fish that lives in cold seas and has white meat people eat

is the broad cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not that single species
billfish
vsfish
1 7.5

Large fish that eat other fish and have a long pointed jaw like marlin or swordfish

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not that beaked predator
sunfish
vsfish
1 5.9

A very large ocean fish with a round flat body and tall fins that lives in warm seas

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not that unusually shaped species
lungfish
vsfish
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A fresh water fish that has lungs and gills and can breathe air

is the cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate that breathes mainly through gills
frogfish
vsfish
1 8.8

A sea fish with a mouth like a frog and a small lure on its nose to attract fish

is the broad cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not the ambush predator with a lure
dogfish
vsfish
  • Specialized
1 7.5

A small shark with a thin body and sharp spines on its fins

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not the small coastal shark type
pipefish
vsfish
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A long thin fish with a tube-shaped snout and hard plates on its body

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not the tubular-snouted plated type
finfish
vsfish
1 3.4

A fish with fins, not a shellfish

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate defined by gill breathing and backbone
bony fish
vsfish
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A fish with a skeleton made mainly of bone, like a salmon or goldfish

is the broad cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate not limited by bone skeletons
1 4.6

A small colorful tropical sea fish with a flat body and wide fins, often near coral reefs

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group rather than that decorative tropical species
sea trout
vsfish
  • US
3.8

A coastal fish in North America that looks like trout and lives near shore

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate category rather than that coastal type
boxfish
vsfish
7.9

A small tropical fish with a hard, box-shaped body found in warm sea waters

is the broad cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not the plated body type
monkfish
vsfish
6.3

A large sea fish with a flat, wide head and a big mouth

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not the broad-headed food species
icefish
vsfish
  • Australian
9.1

A fish that lives in very cold Antarctic waters and has almost transparent blood

is the broad cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not the cold-adapted southern species
frost fish
vsfish
  • Australian
9.9

A long thin sea fish with no scales and sharp teeth that lives in deep water

is the general cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate group, not the slender scaleless type

Idioms

cold fish
  • Offensive
5 7.6

A person who is distant and not friendly

kettle of fish
  • Informal
2 8.6

A difficult situation that causes trouble

1 5.5

An important person in a small group who has more power than elsewhere

1 8.8

Choose to act now or step aside so someone else can

1 6.5

To have more important things to do than this matter

1 7.7

A situation very different from the one just mentioned

1 8.1

Not clearly one thing or another so people cannot decide what it is

To say that something is completely unnecessary

People like different things

7.1

To have more important things to do now

A funny way to say goodbye when leaving a group

what the fish
  • Informal
9.9

An informal phrase people say to show surprise or disbelief

Compounds

24 1.0

A large sea fish that people often eat fresh, grilled or canned

18 1.0

A long thin piece of fish covered in breadcrumbs and fried or baked

18 1.5

A glass box that holds water for keeping live fish

big fish
  • Informal
14 3.6

An important person in a group or organization who has power

10 1.0

A hot meal of fried fish and potatoes often sold to take away

9 2.7

A liquid from oily fish that people take as a health supplement

6 3.0

A simple card game for two or more players where they ask for cards to make sets of four

fish fry
  • Informal
6 2.8

A meal where people eat fried fish together, often outdoors

5 2.7

A place where people raise fish in tanks or ponds for food

A water animal that lives in rivers or lakes and people eat

3 9.3

A traditional Jewish dish of cooked balls made from ground fish mixed with eggs and breadcrumbs

3 2.0

A slice of fish without bones cut lengthwise for cooking

2 2.0

A small fried patty made from flaked fish mixed with potatoes

2 1.0

A long thin piece of fish covered in breadcrumbs and fried or baked

2 1.1

A small flat piece on a fish's body that protects its skin

1 1.1

A dish of fish cooked slowly in liquid with vegetables and spices

game fish
  • Specialized
1 5.0

A fish that people catch for sport, not for food or money

1 6.7

A small bright tropical fish that lives among the stinging arms of sea anemones

1 1.4

A clear round container to keep small pet fish

1 4.5

A small table knife with a wide flat blade used for eating fish

sport fish
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A fish people catch for fun because it fights when hooked

A US government agency that protects wild animals, fish, and their habitats

bony fish
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A fish with a skeleton made mainly of bone, like a salmon or goldfish

1 4.6

A fish that lives near the sea floor, like cod or haddock

A small colorful tropical sea fish with a flat body and wide fins, often near coral reefs

1 2.7

A thick soup made with fish, potatoes, and milk or cream

fish ladder
  • Specialized
1 5.0

A set of pools and steps that help fish swim past a dam

fish meal
  • Specialized
1 3.5

A ground, dried fish product used as fertilizer or animal feed

1 4.9

A large hawk that catches fish, for example an osprey

1 3.8

A tropical sea fish with large fins that glides above water

1 2.1

A fish that people catch or farm to eat

1 3.7

A small bright freshwater fish often kept in aquariums

poor fish
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who is not very clever and is easy to trick

Meat from fish that live in the sea and people eat

A sea fish with a pointed body and spines that give a painful sting

teleost fish
  • Specialized
1 7.4

A bony fish with a jaw that can move and a symmetrical tail, like salmon or goldfish

1 1.0

A salad made from canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise and chopped vegetables like celery or onion

A United States government agency that protects wild animals, plants and their homes

basket fish
  • Specialized
9.9

A sea animal like a starfish with many thin, branched arms around a round middle body

A small sea fish that lives on the bottom and has a long toothless snout

A flying fish with large front and back fins that lets it glide far above water

blennioid fish
  • Specialized
9.9

A long sea fish with little or no scales, large side fins, and small lower fins near the shore

A fish that lives near the bottom of lakes, rivers, or the sea

8.9

A large fresh water fish with a mouth like a sucker from the Mississippi valley

carangid fish
  • Specialized
9.4

A sea fish like a jack that has a fast, thin body and a forked tail

cartilaginous fish
  • Specialized
6.8

A fish whose skeleton is made of soft cartilage not bone

characin fish
  • Specialized
8.7

A freshwater fish from Central or South America and Africa that is often brightly colored and kept in aquariums

cichlid fish
  • Specialized
7.0

A colorful freshwater fish from warm regions that people often keep in fish tanks

clinid fish
  • Specialized
9.9

A small, thin marine fish that lives on coral reefs and seagrass beds

A small bright orange fish with white stripes that lives among sea anemones for protection

clupeid fish
  • Specialized
8.1

A small sea fish like herring or sardine that swims in large groups and is used for food

9.9

A small fish with a pale body and bold vertical black bands

croaker fish
  • Specialized
6.9

A fish that lives near the shore and makes a croaking sound

9.9

A deep sea fish in the tropical Atlantic with bright purple and yellow colors and a long body

crucifix fish
  • Specialized
9.9

A sea catfish from the Caribbean with a bone shaped like a cross in its head

cyprinid fish
  • Specialized
8.6

A freshwater fish with soft fins, no teeth, and scales, like a carp

cypriniform fish
  • Specialized
9.9

A freshwater fish with soft fins like a carp or minnow

doctor-fish
  • Specialized
9.4

A brightly colored tropical fish with sharp spines found in the Caribbean

A small freshwater fish that nibbles dead skin during spa pedicures

A deep sea fish with a large mouth and a glowing lure on its head to attract prey

Taking out the insides of a fish before cooking

ex-lax fish
  • Informal
9.9

A fish dish that people think makes them need the bathroom quickly

2.6

A small round piece of fish cooked and eaten as a snack or in soup

4.6

A situation where many people watch you and you have no privacy

fish brain
  • Offensive
9.0

A person who often forgets things and is not careful

fish doctor
  • Specialized
8.9

A brightly colored fish with no scales that lives in cold northern waters

7.8

A large diving duck with a crest and a thin hooked bill for catching fish

A large bird that catches fish and often builds big nests near water

5.6

A baked loaf of fish mixed with breadcrumbs and seasonings

fish louse
  • Specialized
9.5

A small animal that lives on fish and eats their blood or skin

2.8

A small fake bait made of plastic or metal to attract fish

A light creamy dish that blends cooked fish with cream and eggs, often served as a starter

2.8

A wide flat kitchen tool for lifting, turning and serving fish or other foods

How Big

shark
664 1.0
tuna
213 1.0
salmon
126 1.0
trout
123 1.0
fish
888 1.0
sardine
60 1.3
minnow
15 4.2

Surface Forms

fish singular
fishes plural

Etymology

Fish (the animal) comes from an old German word fisc meaning 'fish', and the same root appears in words like fisherman, which is why fish names the water creature people catch and eat.