Illustration of fish
- 1 mandible
- 2 nasal opening
- 3 eye
- 4 cheek
- 5 operculum
- 6 dorsal fins
- 7 lateral line
- 8 caudal fin
- 9 scales
- 10 anal fin
- 11 anus
- 12 pectoral fin
- 13 pelvic fin
- 14 maxilla
- 15 premaxilla
- 16 upper jaw
plural fish or fishes
often attributive
1
a
: an aquatic animal
—usually used in combination
starfish
cuttlefish
b
: any of numerous cold-blooded strictly aquatic craniate vertebrates that include the bony fishes and usually the cartilaginous and jawless fishes and that have typically an elongated somewhat spindle-shaped body terminating in a broad caudal (see caudal sense 2) fin, limbs in the form of fins when present at all, and a 2-chambered heart by which blood is sent through thoracic gills to be oxygenated
freshwater fish
tropical fish
2
: the flesh of fish used as food
We're having fish for dinner.
3
a
: a person who is caught or is wanted (as in a criminal investigation)
c
: sucker sense 5a
felt sorry for the poor fish
4
: something that resembles a fish: such as
a
b
: torpedo sense 1b
The submarine's fish hit the freighter.
fished; fishing; fishes
1
: to catch or attempt to catch fish
2
: to seek something by roundabout means
fishing for a compliment
3
a
: to search for something underwater
fish for pearls
b
: to engage in a search by groping or feeling
fishing around in her purse for her keys
1
a
: to catch or try to catch fish in
fishing the stream
b
: to fish with : use (something, such as a boat, a net, or bait) in fishing
Fishing a fly … often produces a series of multiple hits …—Nelson Bryant
2
a
: to go fishing for
fish salmon
b
: to pull or draw as if fishing
fished the ball from under the car
fish wires through a conduit
see also:
Cite this Entry
“Fish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fish. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.
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