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View synonyms for shark

shark

1

[ shahrk ]

noun

  1. any of a group of elongate elasmobranch, mostly marine fishes, certain species of which are large, voracious, and sometimes dangerous to humans.


shark

2

[ shahrk ]

noun

  1. a person who preys greedily on others, as by cheating or usury.
  2. Informal. a person who has unusual ability in a particular field.

verb (used with object)

  1. Archaic. to obtain by trickery or fraud; steal.

verb (used without object)

  1. Archaic. to live by shifts and stratagems.

shark

1

/ ʃɑːk /

noun

  1. any of various usually ferocious selachian fishes, typically marine with a long body, two dorsal fins, rows of sharp teeth, and between five and seven gill slits on each side of the head


shark

2

/ ʃɑːk /

noun

  1. a person who preys on or victimizes others, esp by swindling or extortion

verb

  1. archaic.
    to obtain (something) by cheating or deception

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Derived Forms

  • ˈsharkˌlike, adjective

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Other Words From

  • sharklike adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of shark1

First recorded in 1560–70; origin uncertain

Origin of shark2

1590–1600; < German dialect Schork, variant of Schurke rascal

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Word History and Origins

Origin of shark1

C16: of uncertain origin

Origin of shark2

C18: probably from German Schurke rogue; perhaps also influenced by shark 1

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. jump the shark, Informal. to begin a decline in quality, popularity, relevance, etc., after reaching a peak:

    Some TV shows have jumped the shark once a popular cast member left the show.

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Example Sentences

Porter was convicted and shortly after sentenced to death by a judge who compared him to a shark in a feeding frenzy.

Her downfall came about, because for a second she forgot that to swim in the shark pool, you have to always act like a shark.

For humans, Shark Week is just a once-a-year sweeps event for the Discovery Channel.

However, for sharks—and Tracy Jordan—every week is Shark Week.

Worse, she obsesses over this with all of the friends and then tries to incorporate shark imagery into their sex life.

A shark was also taken, eleven feet long; and many curious specimens of crustacea and medusa were obtained by the towing-net.

This engaging rascal is found helping a young cricket player out of the toils of a money shark.

Since their desperate dive into the sea, and the adventure with the shark, the two darkeys and the orphan had become fast friends.

“If we do,” I said, and I pointed with a thrill of horror to the fin of the shark as its wicked eye glanced up at us.

What would have been his fate, however, had the monster of a shark we saw been near at hand at the moment he fell overboard!

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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