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Glite Dictionary
cat shark

cat shark

6.9
A small shark that lives on the sea floor and has eyes like a cat
  • noun
  • /kæt ʃɑrk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tiburón gato
  • The cat shark is known for its unique appearance.

Examples

  • Many cat sharks inhabit the waters off the coast of California.

  • The cat shark is known for its distinctive eyes, which resemble those of a cat.

  • Many deep-sea explorers have encountered the elusive cat shark in rocky underwater canyons.

  • Researchers tagged several cat sharks to monitor their movements along the continental shelf.

  • The cat shark is often found resting on the ocean floor in shallow waters.

  • At the aquarium, we observed a cat shark gliding gracefully among the rocks.

  • Diving in the reef, I spotted a cat shark peeking out from behind a coral outcrop.

Synonyms

family Scyliorhinidae
vscat shark
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of small sharks called catsharks that live on the sea floor

is a specific small slope-dweller with cat-like eyes rather than the whole family
Scyliorhinidae
vscat shark
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of small sharks that live on the sea floor, called catsharks

is a particular small slope-dweller with cat-like eyes not the broad family

Surface Forms

cat shark singular
cat sharks plural

Morphology

cat + shark

The noun is a straightforward compound: 'cat' + 'shark' signals a type of shark with cat-like features (e.g., eyes) and likely smaller size, so the overall meaning is directly inferable from the constituents. This noun-noun species-naming pattern is common and predictable across languages, making it readily understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Cat shark gets its name from the animal's cat-like eyes and the way it moves quietly along the sea floor like a cat. People used that picture to name this small shark, so cat shark today means a 'small shark that lives on the sea floor'.