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oarfish

[ awr-fish, ohr- ]
/ ˈɔrˌfɪʃ, ˈoʊr- /
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noun, plural (especially collectively) oar·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) oar·fish·es.
any long, ribbon-shaped, silvery fish of the genus Regalecus, of deep tropical waters, having a red dorsal fin along the spine that rises to a crest, and reaching a length of 30 feet (9 meters).
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Also called ribbonfish.

Origin of oarfish

First recorded in 1855–60; oar + fish

Words nearby oarfish

OAP, OAPC, OAPEC, oar, oared, oarfish, oarlock, oars, oarsman, oarweed, oary
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to oarfish

giant squid, hydra, kraken, leviathan

How to use oarfish in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oarfish

oarfish
/ (ˈɔːˌfɪʃ) /
noun plural -fish or -fishes
a very long ribbonfish, Regalecus glesne, with long slender ventral finsAlso called: king of the herrings

Word Origin for oarfish

C19: referring to the flattened oarlike body
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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