any of various cold-blooded, aquatic vertebrates, having gills, commonly fins, and typically an elongated body covered with scales.
2.
(loosely) any of various other aquatic animals.
3.
the flesh of fishes used as food.
4.
Fishes, Astronomy,Astrology. the constellation or sign of Pisces.
5.
Informal. a person: an odd fish; a poor fish.
6.
a long strip of wood, iron, etc., used to strengthen a mast, joint, etc.
7.
CardsSlang. an incompetent player whose incompetence can be exploited.
8.
Slang. a dollar: He sold the car for 500 fish.
9.
Slang. a new prison inmate.
–verb (used with object)
10.
to catch or attempt to catch (any species of fish or the like).
11.
to try to catch fish in (a stream, lake, etc.): Let's fish the creek.
12.
to draw, as by fishing (often fol. by up or out): He fished a coin out of his pocket for the boy.
13.
to search through, as by fishing.
14.
Nautical.
a.
to secure (an anchor) by raising the flukes.
b.
to reinforce (a mast or other spar) by fastening a spar, batten, metal bar, or the like, lengthwise over a weak place.
–verb (used without object)
15.
to catch or attempt to catch fish, as by angling or drawing a net.
16.
to search carefully: He fished through all his pockets but his wallet was gone.
17.
to seek to obtain something indirectly or by artifice: to fish for compliments; to fish for information.
18.
to search for or attempt to catch onto something under water, in mud, etc., by the use of a dredge, rake, hook, or the like.
19.
to attempt to recover detached tools or other loose objects from an oil or gas well.
—Verb phrase
20.
fish out, to deplete (a lake, stream, etc.) of fish by fishing.
—Idioms
21.
drink like a fish, to drink alcoholic beverages to excess: Nobody invites him out because he drinks like a fish.
22.
fish in troubled waters, to take advantage of troubled or uncertain conditions for personal profit.
23.
fish or cut bait, to choose a definite course of action, esp. to decide whether to participate in or retreat from an activity.
24.
fish out of water, a person out of his or her proper or accustomed environment: He felt like a fish out of water in an academic atmosphere.
25.
neither fish nor fowl, having no specific character or conviction; neither one nor the other.
26.
other fish to fry, other matters requiring attention: When it was time to act, they had other fish to fry.
[Origin: bef. 900; (n.) ME fis(c)h, fyssh, OE fisc; c. D vis, G Fisch, ON fiskr, Goth fisks; akin to L piscis, Ir iasc; (v.) ME fishen, OE fiscian, c. D visschen, G fischen, ON fiska, Goth fiskôn]
Any of numerous cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates of the superclass Pisces, characteristically having fins, gills, and a streamlined body and including specifically:
Any of the class Osteichthyes, having a bony skeleton.
Any of the class Chondrichthyes, having a cartilaginous skeleton and including the sharks, rays, and skates.
The flesh of such animals used as food.
Any of various primitive aquatic vertebrates of the class Cyclostomata, lacking jaws and including the lampreys and hagfishes.
Any of various unrelated aquatic animals, such as a jellyfish, cuttlefish, or crayfish.
Informal A person, especially one considered deficient in something: a poor fish.
v.
fished, fish·ing, fish·es
v.
intr.
To catch or try to catch fish.
To look for something by feeling one's way; grope: fished in both pockets for a coin.
To seek something in a sly or indirect way: fish for compliments.
v.
tr.
To catch or try to catch (fish).
To catch or try to catch fish in: fish mountain streams.
To catch or pull as if fishing: deftly fished the corn out of the boiling water.
Phrasal Verb(s): fish out
To deplete (a lake, for example) of fish by fishing.
Idiom(s):
fish in troubled waters
To try to take advantage of a confused situation.
Idiom(s):
fish or cut bait Informal
To proceed with an activity or abandon it altogether.
Idiom(s):
like a fish out of water
Completely unfamiliar with one's surroundings or activity.
Idiom(s):
neither fish nor fowl
Having no specific characteristics; indefinite.
Idiom(s):
other fish to fry Informal
Other matters to attend to: He declined to come along to the movie, saying he had other fish to fry.
FishAudio Help (fĭsh) Pronunciation Key
American politician who was a U.S. representative from New York, (1843-1845), governor of New York (1849-1850), a U.S. senator (1851-1857), and U.S. secretary of state (1869-1877).
O.E. fisc, from P.Gmc. *fiskaz (cf. O.H.G. fisc, O.N. fiskr, Du. vis, Ger. Fisch, Goth. fisks), from PIE *piskos (cf. L. piscis). The verb is O.E. fiscian.Fishy "shady, questionable" is first recorded 1840, perhaps from the notion of "slipperiness," or of giving off an intrusive odor. Fish story attested from 1819, from the tendency to exaggerate the size of the catch (or the one that got away). Fishtail (v.), of vehicles, first recorded 1927. Fig. sense of fish out of water first recorded 1613.
"Of all diversions ... fishing is the worst qualified to amuse a man who is at once indolent and impatient." [Scott, 1814]
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills; "the shark is a large fish"; "in the living room there was a tank of colorful fish"
2.
the flesh of fish used as food; "in Japan most fish is eaten raw"; "after the scare about foot-and-mouth disease a lot of people started eating fish instead of meat"; "they have a chef who specializes in fish"
3.
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Pisces [syn: Pisces]
4.
the twelfth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about February 19 to March 20 [syn: Pisces]
verb
1.
seek indirectly; "fish for compliments"
2.
catch or try to catch fish or shellfish; "I like to go fishing on weekends"
Pluralfish or fishes
Any of numerous cold-blooded vertebrate animals that live in water. Fish have gills for obtaining oxygen, a lateral line for sensing pressure changes in the water, and a vertical tail. Most fish are covered with scales and have limbs in the form of fins. Fish were once classified together as a single group, but are now known to compose numerous evolutionarily distinct classes, including the bony fish, cartilaginous fish, jawless fish, lobe-finned fish, and placoderms.
fish (Adelaide University, Australia) 1. Another metasyntactic variable. See foo. Derived originally from the Monty Python skit in the middle of "The Meaning of Life" entitled "Find the Fish". 2. microfiche. A microfiche file cabinet may be referred to as a "fish tank". [The Jargon File] (1994-12-01)
Fish\, n.; pl. Fishes, or collectively, Fish. [OE. fisch, fisc, fis, AS. fisc; akin to D. visch, OS. & OHG. fisk, G. fisch, Icel. fiskr, Sw. & Dan. fisk, Goth. fisks, L. piscis, Ir. iasg. Cf. Piscatorial. In some cases, such as fish joint, fish plate, this word has prob. been confused with fish, fr. F. fichea peg.]1. A name loosely applied in popular usage to many animals of diverse characteristics, living in the water. 2. (Zo["o]l.) An oviparous, vertebrate animal usually having fins and a covering scales or plates. It breathes by means of gills, and lives almost entirely in the water. See Pisces. Note: The true fishes include the Teleostei (bony fishes), Ganoidei, Dipnoi, and Elasmobranchii or Selachians (sharks and skates). Formerly the leptocardia and Marsipobranciata were also included, but these are now generally regarded as two distinct classes, below the fishes. 3. pl. The twelfth sign of the zodiac; Pisces. 4. The flesh of fish, used as food. 5. (Naut.) (a) A purchase used to fish the anchor. (b) A piece of timber, somewhat in the form of a fish, used to strengthen a mast or yard. Note: Fish is used adjectively or as part of a compound word; as, fish line, fish pole, fish spear, fish-bellied. Age of Fishes. See under Age, n., 8. Fish ball, fish (usually salted codfish) shared fine, mixed with mashed potato, and made into the form of a small, round cake. [U.S.] Fish bar. Same as Fish plate (below). Fish beam (Mech.), a beam one of whose sides (commonly the under one) swells out like the belly of a fish. --Francis. Fish crow (Zo["o]l.), a species of crow (Corvus ossifragus), found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It feeds largely on fish. Fish culture, the artifical breeding and rearing of fish; pisciculture. Fish davit. See Davit. Fish day, a day on which fish is eaten; a fast day. Fish duck (Zo["o]l.), any species of merganser. Fish fall, the tackle depending from the fish davit, used in hauling up the anchor to the gunwale of a ship. Fish garth, a dam or weir in a river for keeping fish or taking them easily. Fish glue. See Isinglass. Fish joint, a joint formed by a plate or pair of plates fastened upon two meeting beams, plates, etc., at their junction; -- used largely in connecting the rails of railroads. Fish kettle, a long kettle for boiling fish whole. Fish ladder, a dam with a series of steps which fish can leap in order to ascend falls in a river. Fish line, or Fishing line, a line made of twisted hair, silk, etc., used in angling. Fish louse (Zo["o]l.), any crustacean parasitic on fishes, esp. the parasitic Copepoda, belonging to Caligus, Argulus, and other related genera. See Branchiura. Fish maw (Zo["o]l.), the stomach of a fish; also, the air bladder, or sound. Fish meal, fish desiccated and ground fine, for use in soups, etc. Fish oil, oil obtained from the bodies of fish and marine animals, as whales, seals, sharks, from cods' livers, etc. Fish owl (Zo["o]l.), a fish-eating owl of the Old World genera Scotopelia and Ketupa, esp. a large East Indian species (K. Ceylonensis). Fish plate, one of the plates of a fish joint. Fish pot, a wicker basket, sunk, with a float attached, for catching crabs, lobsters, etc. Fish pound, a net attached to stakes, for entrapping and catching fish; a weir. [Local, U.S.] --Bartlett. Fish slice, a broad knife for dividing fish at table; a fish trowel. Fish slide, an inclined box set in a stream at a small fall, or ripple, to catch fish descending the current. --Knight. Fish sound, the air bladder of certain fishes, esp. those that are dried and used as food, or in the arts, as for the preparation of isinglass. Fish story, a story which taxes credulity; an extravagant or incredible narration. [Colloq. U.S.] --Bartlett. Fish strainer. (a) A metal colander, with handles, for taking fish from a boiler. (b) A perforated earthenware slab at the bottom of a dish, to drain the water from a boiled fish. Fish trowel, a fish slice. Fishweir or wear, a weir set in a stream, for catching fish. Neither fish nor flesh (Fig.), neither one thing nor the other.
Fish\, n.; pl. Fishes, or collectively, Fish. [OE. fisch, fisc, fis, AS. fisc; akin to D. visch, OS. & OHG. fisk, G. fisch, Icel. fiskr, Sw. & Dan. fisk, Goth. fisks, L. piscis, Ir. iasg. Cf. Piscatorial. In some cases, such as fish joint, fish plate, this word has prob. been confused with fish, fr. F. fichea peg.]1. A name loosely applied in popular usage to many animals of diverse characteristics, living in the water. 2. (Zo["o]l.) An oviparous, vertebrate animal usually having fins and a covering scales or plates. It breathes by means of gills, and lives almost entirely in the water. See Pisces. Note: The true fishes include the Teleostei (bony fishes), Ganoidei, Dipnoi, and Elasmobranchii or Selachians (sharks and skates). Formerly the leptocardia and Marsipobranciata were also included, but these are now generally regarded as two distinct classes, below the fishes. 3. pl. The twelfth sign of the zodiac; Pisces. 4. The flesh of fish, used as food. 5. (Naut.) (a) A purchase used to fish the anchor. (b) A piece of timber, somewhat in the form of a fish, used to strengthen a mast or yard. Note: Fish is used adjectively or as part of a compound word; as, fish line, fish pole, fish spear, fish-bellied. Age of Fishes. See under Age, n., 8. Fish ball, fish (usually salted codfish) shared fine, mixed with mashed potato, and made into the form of a small, round cake. [U.S.] Fish bar. Same as Fish plate (below). Fish beam (Mech.), a beam one of whose sides (commonly the under one) swells out like the belly of a fish. --Francis. Fish crow (Zo["o]l.), a species of crow (Corvus ossifragus), found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It feeds largely on fish. Fish culture, the artifical breeding and rearing of fish; pisciculture. Fish davit. See Davit. Fish day, a day on which fish is eaten; a fast day. Fish duck (Zo["o]l.), any species of merganser. Fish fall, the tackle depending from the fish davit, used in hauling up the anchor to the gunwale of a ship. Fish garth, a dam or weir in a river for keeping fish or taking them easily. Fish glue. See Isinglass. Fish joint, a joint formed by a plate or pair of plates fastened upon two meeting beams, plates, etc., at their junction; -- used largely in connecting the rails of railroads. Fish kettle, a long kettle for boiling fish whole. Fish ladder, a dam with a series of steps which fish can leap in order to ascend falls in a river. Fish line, or Fishing line, a line made of twisted hair, silk, etc., used in angling. Fish louse (Zo["o]l.), any crustacean parasitic on fishes, esp. the parasitic Copepoda, belonging to Caligus, Argulus, and other related genera. See Branchiura. Fish maw (Zo["o]l.), the stomach of a fish; also, the air bladder, or sound. Fish meal, fish desiccated and ground fine, for use in soups, etc. Fish oil, oil obtained from the bodies of fish and marine animals, as whales, seals, sharks, from cods' livers, etc. Fish owl (Zo["o]l.), a fish-eating owl of the Old World genera Scotopelia and Ketupa, esp. a large East Indian species (K. Ceylonensis). Fish plate, one of the plates of a fish joint. Fish pot, a wicker basket, sunk, with a float attached, for catching crabs, lobsters, etc. Fish pound, a net attached to stakes, for entrapping and catching fish; a weir. [Local, U.S.] --Bartlett. Fish slice, a broad knife for dividing fish at table; a fish trowel. Fish slide, an inclined box set in a stream at a small fall, or ripple, to catch fish descending the current. --Knight. Fish sound, the air bladder of certain fishes, esp. those that are dried and used as food, or in the arts, as for the preparation of isinglass. Fish story, a story which taxes credulity; an extravagant or incredible narration. [Colloq. U.S.] --Bartlett. Fish strainer. (a) A metal colander, with handles, for taking fish from a boiler. (b) A perforated earthenware slab at the bottom of a dish, to drain the water from a boiled fish. Fish trowel, a fish slice. Fishweir or wear, a weir set in a stream, for catching fish. Neither fish nor flesh (Fig.), neither one thing nor the other.
Fish\, n.; pl. Fishes, or collectively, Fish. [OE. fisch, fisc, fis, AS. fisc; akin to D. visch, OS. & OHG. fisk, G. fisch, Icel. fiskr, Sw. & Dan. fisk, Goth. fisks, L. piscis, Ir. iasg. Cf. Piscatorial. In some cases, such as fish joint, fish plate, this word has prob. been confused with fish, fr. F. fichea peg.]1. A name loosely applied in popular usage to many animals of diverse characteristics, living in the water. 2. (Zo["o]l.) An oviparous, vertebrate animal usually having fins and a covering scales or plates. It breathes by means of gills, and lives almost entirely in the water. See Pisces. Note: The true fishes include the Teleostei (bony fishes), Ganoidei, Dipnoi, and Elasmobranchii or Selachians (sharks and skates). Formerly the leptocardia and Marsipobranciata were also included, but these are now generally regarded as two distinct classes, below the fishes. 3. pl. The twelfth sign of the zodiac; Pisces. 4. The flesh of fish, used as food. 5. (Naut.) (a) A purchase used to fish the anchor. (b) A piece of timber, somewhat in the form of a fish, used to strengthen a mast or yard. Note: Fish is used adjectively or as part of a compound word; as, fish line, fish pole, fish spear, fish-bellied. Age of Fishes. See under Age, n., 8. Fish ball, fish (usually salted codfish) shared fine, mixed with mashed potato, and made into the form of a small, round cake. [U.S.] Fish bar. Same as Fish plate (below). Fish beam (Mech.), a beam one of whose sides (commonly the under one) swells out like the belly of a fish. --Francis. Fish crow (Zo["o]l.), a species of crow (Corvus ossifragus), found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It feeds largely on fish. Fish culture, the artifical breeding and rearing of fish; pisciculture. Fish davit. See Davit. Fish day, a day on which fish is eaten; a fast day. Fish duck (Zo["o]l.), any species of merganser. Fish fall, the tackle depending from the fish davit, used in hauling up the anchor to the gunwale of a ship. Fish garth, a dam or weir in a river for keeping fish or taking them easily. Fish glue. See Isinglass. Fish joint, a joint formed by a plate or pair of plates fastened upon two meeting beams, plates, etc., at their junction; -- used largely in connecting the rails of railroads. Fish kettle, a long kettle for boiling fish whole. Fish ladder, a dam with a series of steps which fish can leap in order to ascend falls in a river. Fish line, or Fishing line, a line made of twisted hair, silk, etc., used in angling. Fish louse (Zo["o]l.), any crustacean parasitic on fishes, esp. the parasitic Copepoda, belonging to Caligus, Argulus, and other related genera. See Branchiura. Fish maw (Zo["o]l.), the stomach of a fish; also, the air bladder, or sound. Fish meal, fish desiccated and ground fine, for use in soups, etc. Fish oil, oil obtained from the bodies of fish and marine animals, as whales, seals, sharks, from cods' livers, etc. Fish owl (Zo["o]l.), a fish-eating owl of the Old World genera Scotopelia and Ketupa, esp. a large East Indian species (K. Ceylonensis). Fish plate, one of the plates of a fish joint. Fish pot, a wicker basket, sunk, with a float attached, for catching crabs, lobsters, etc. Fish pound, a net attached to stakes, for entrapping and catching fish; a weir. [Local, U.S.] --Bartlett. Fish slice, a broad knife for dividing fish at table; a fish trowel. Fish slide, an inclined box set in a stream at a small fall, or ripple, to catch fish descending the current. --Knight. Fish sound, the air bladder of certain fishes, esp. those that are dried and used as food, or in the arts, as for the preparation of isinglass. Fish story, a story which taxes credulity; an extravagant or incredible narration. [Colloq. U.S.] --Bartlett. Fish strainer. (a) A metal colander, with handles, for taking fish from a boiler. (b) A perforated earthenware slab at the bottom of a dish, to drain the water from a boiled fish. Fish trowel, a fish slice. Fishweir or wear, a weir set in a stream, for catching fish. Neither fish nor flesh (Fig.), neither one thing nor the other.
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Audio Help [fish] Pronunciation Key noun, plural (especially collectively
