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Shark
Definitions
- 1 Any predatory fish of the superorder Selachimorpha, with a cartilaginous skeleton and 5 to 7 gill slits on each side of its head. countable
"The straunge fishe is in length xvij. foote and iij. foote broad, and in compas about the bodie vj. foote; and is round snowted, short headdid, hauing iij. rankes of teeth on either iawe, …. Also it hath v. gills of eache side of the head, shoing white. Ther is no proper name for it that I know, but that sertayne men of Captayne Haukinses doth call it a sharke."
- 2 Someone who exploits others, for example by trickery, lies, usury, extortion.
"“[…] Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing. Oh, dear, there's so much to tell you, so many warnings to give you, but all that must be postponed for the moment.”"
- 3 any of numerous elongate mostly marine carnivorous fishes with heterocercal caudal fins and tough skin covered with small toothlike scales wordnet
- 4 Flesh of this animal, consumed as food. uncountable
- 5 A sleazy and amoral lawyer. derogatory, informal
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- 6 a person who is unusually skilled in certain ways wordnet
- 7 Any fish of the class Chondrichthyes, especially an extinct shark-like holocephalian. broadly, countable, uncountable
"Cladoselache, a well-preserved Devonian shark fossil from Ohio. Here the cartilages and some muscle tissues are preserved intact"
- 8 An ambulance chaser. derogatory, informal
- 9 a person who is ruthless and greedy and dishonest wordnet
- 10 A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.; Any fish in the genus Epalzeorhynchos. countable, uncountable
- 11 A relentless and resolute person or group, especially in business. informal
"In the event they lacked a proper midfield bolt, with Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira huffing around in pursuit of the whizzing green machine. The centre-backs looked flustered, left to deal with three on two as Mexico broke. Löw’s 4-2-3-1 seemed antiquated and creaky, with the old World Cup shark Thomas Müller flat-footed in a wide position."
- 12 A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.; Any fish in the genus Balantiocheilos. countable, uncountable
- 13 A person that excels in a particular field.
- 14 A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.; An iridescent shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus). countable, uncountable
- 15 A person that excels in a particular field.; A very good poker or pool player. Compare fish (a bad poker player). informal
- 16 A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.; A roseline shark (Dawkinsia denisonii). countable, uncountable
- 17 A person who feigns ineptitude to win money from others.
- 18 A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.; A paroon shark (Pangasius sanitwongsei). countable, uncountable
- 19 A noctuid moth of species Cucullia umbratica. countable
- 20 A university student who is not a fresher that has engaged in sexual activity with a fresher; usually habitually and with multiple people. UK, countable
- 1 To fish for sharks. intransitive, rare
- 2 To steal or obtain through fraud. obsolete
"Shakespeare and others, Sir Thomas More (c. 1593) act 2, sc. 4: "Other ruffians...Would shark on you.""
- 3 To pick or gather indiscriminately or covertly. obsolete
"Fortenbraſſe […] Hath […] Sharkt vp a ſight of lawleſſe Reſolutes […]"
- 4 hunt shark wordnet
- 5 Of a university student who is not a fresher (first-year undergraduate), and especially towards the start of the academic year:; To engage in sexual activity with a fresher. UK, derogatory, mildly, transitive
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- 6 To play the petty thief; to practice fraud or trickery; to swindle. intransitive, obsolete
"Neither sharks for a cup or a reckoning."
- 7 play the shark; act with trickery wordnet
- 8 Of a university student who is not a fresher (first-year undergraduate), and especially towards the start of the academic year:; To cruise for casual sex with a fresher at a bar or club. UK, derogatory, intransitive, mildly
- 9 To live by shifts and stratagems. intransitive, obsolete
"Ah Captaine, lay not all the fault upon Officers you know you can ſhark though you be out of action, witneſſe Montague."
Etymology
From Middle English shark (used by Thomas Beckington in 1442 to refer to a kind of fish), of uncertain origin. Most likely from a semantic extension of the German-derived shark (“scoundrel”), see below. The fish was originally called a dogfish or haye in English and Middle English. alternative theories Some older dictionaries derived the word from Latin c(h)archarias, c(h)acharus (from Ancient Greek), but admit that "the requisite [Old French] forms intermediate between E. shark and L. carcharus are not found, and it is not certain that the name [shark] was orig. applied to the fish; it may have been first used of a greedy man". Other older authorities speculated that the word might derive from Yucatec Maya xok (“fish”) (/ʃok/), as John Hawkins brought a specimen from the area where Mayan was spoken to England in the 1560s. However, the 1442 use rules out a New World origin for the word.
From Middle English shark (used by Thomas Beckington in 1442 to refer to a kind of fish), of uncertain origin. Most likely from a semantic extension of the German-derived shark (“scoundrel”), see below. The fish was originally called a dogfish or haye in English and Middle English. alternative theories Some older dictionaries derived the word from Latin c(h)archarias, c(h)acharus (from Ancient Greek), but admit that "the requisite [Old French] forms intermediate between E. shark and L. carcharus are not found, and it is not certain that the name [shark] was orig. applied to the fish; it may have been first used of a greedy man". Other older authorities speculated that the word might derive from Yucatec Maya xok (“fish”) (/ʃok/), as John Hawkins brought a specimen from the area where Mayan was spoken to England in the 1560s. However, the 1442 use rules out a New World origin for the word.
From German Schurke (“scoundrel”); compare Dutch schurk.
From German Schurke (“scoundrel”); compare Dutch schurk.
Probably from the "steal" senses above, but perhaps related to shear. Compare shirk.
See also for "shark"
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