Standard Lemma guide

shark

noun · verb · 29 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ʃɑːk/
  • General-American: /ʃɑɹk/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: shock (non-rhotic, father-bother merger)
  • rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)k
  • CMU ARPABET: SH AA1 R K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any predatory fish of the superorder Selachimorpha, with a cartilaginous skeleton and 5 to 7 gill slits on each side of its head.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Topics: biology, ichthyology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Meat of this animal, consumed as food.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any fish of the class Chondrichthyes, especially an extinct shark-like holocephalian.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, history, human-sciences, natural-sciences, paleontology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.

Any fish in the genus Epalzeorhynchos.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.

Any fish in the genus Balantiocheilos.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.

An iridescent shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.

A roseline shark (Dawkinsia denisonii).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.

A paroon shark (Pangasius sanitwongsei).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A noctuid moth of species Cucullia umbratica.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

A university student who is not a fresher that has engaged in sexual activity with a fresher; usually habitually and with multiple people.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, countable

Qualifier: university slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

Someone who exploits others, for example by trickery, lies, usury, extortion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

A sleazy and amoral lawyer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

An ambulance chaser.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

noun

Meaning 14

A relentless and resolute person or group, especially in business.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

noun

Meaning 15

A person that excels in a particular field.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

noun

Meaning 16

A person that excels in a particular field.

A very good poker or pool player. Compare fish (a bad poker player).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, proscribed

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

noun

Meaning 17

A person who feigns ineptitude to win money from others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

18

verb

Meaning 18

To fish for sharks.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, rare

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

19

verb

Meaning 19

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, derogatory, mildly, transitive

Qualifier: university slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

20

verb

Meaning 20

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, derogatory, intransitive, mildly

Qualifier: university slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

21

verb

Meaning 21

To steal or obtain through fraud.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Examples

  • Shakespeare and others, Sir Thomas More (c. 1593) act 2, sc. 4: "Other ruffians...Would shark on you."

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

22

verb

Meaning 22

To play the petty thief; to practice fraud or trickery; to swindle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

23

verb

Meaning 23

To live by shifts and stratagems.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

24

verb

Meaning 24

To pick or gather indiscriminately or covertly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

25

noun

Meaning 25

any of numerous elongate mostly marine carnivorous fishes with heterocercal caudal fins and tough skin covered with small toothlike scales

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: elasmobranch, selachian

Narrower terms: cow shark, six-gilled shark, Hexanchus griseus, mackerel shark, thresher, thrasher, thresher shark, fox shark, Alopius vulpinus, carpet shark, Orectolobus barbatus, nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, sand tiger, sand shark, Carcharias taurus, Odontaspis taurus, whale shark, Rhincodon typus, cat shark, requiem shark, dogfish, hammerhead, hammerhead shark, angel shark, angelfish, Squatina squatina, monkfish

26

noun

Meaning 26

a person who is unusually skilled in certain ways

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a card shark

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: expert

27

noun

Meaning 27

a person who is ruthless and greedy and dishonest

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wrongdoer, offender

Narrower terms: usurer, loan shark, moneylender, shylock

28

verb

Meaning 28

hunt shark

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: fish

29

verb

Meaning 29

play the shark; act with trickery

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cheat, chisel

History

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. Its name in Old English is unknown, although some uses of the word hranfisċ that do not appear to carry the sense of "whale" may have been referencing it. 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.

Probably from the "steal" senses above, but perhaps related to shear. Compare shirk.

Across languages

Translations

233 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Abkhaz: аӷлам (ağlam) — fish
  • Afrikaans: haai — fish
  • Albanian: peshkaqen — fish
  • Amharic: ሻርክ (šark) — fish
  • Arabic: لُخْم (luḵm) — fish
  • Arabic: قِرْش (qirš) — fish
  • Arabic: سَمَكَةُ الْقِرْش (samakatu l-qirš) — fish
  • Arabic: سمكة القرش (samaket el-ʔerš) — fish
  • Arabic: يريور (yaryūr) — fish
  • Arabic: قرش (girš) — fish
  • Iraqi Arabic: كوسج (kōsaɡ̌) — fish
  • Arabic: قرش (qarš) — fish
  • Arabic: مراخو (Tangiers) — fish
  • Arabic: كلب البحر (kelb l-baḥr) — fish
  • Tunisian Arabic: ركان (rekān) — fish
  • Aragonese: tiburón — fish
  • Armenian: շնաձուկ (šnajuk) — fish
  • Assamese: হাঙৰ (haṅor) — fish
  • Assamese: হাংগৰ (haṅgor) — fish
  • Asturian: tiburón — fish
  • Asturian: escualu — fish
  • Azerbaijani: köpək balığı — fish
  • Azerbaijani: akula — fish
  • Baluchi: پاگاس (págás) — fish
  • Bashkir: акула (akula) — fish
  • Basque: marrazo — fish
  • Belarusian: аку́ла (akúla) — fish
  • Bengali: হাঙ্গর (haṅgor) — fish
  • Bengali: হাঙর (haṅor) — fish
  • Breton: rinkin — fish
  • Breton: morvleiz — fish
  • Bulgarian: аку́ла (akúla) — fish
  • Burmese: ငါးမန်း (nga:man:) — fish
  • Catalan: tauró — fish
  • Catalan: esqual — fish
  • Cebuano: iho — fish
  • Chechen: гӏоркхма (ğorqma) — fish
  • Cherokee: ᏗᎧᏳᎦ (dikayuga) — fish
  • Chinese Cantonese: 鯊魚 /鲨鱼 — fish
  • Eastern Min Chinese: 鯊魚 /鲨鱼 (săi-ngṳ̀) — fish
  • Hakka Chinese: 鯊魚 /鲨鱼 (sâ-ǹg) — fish
  • Chinese: 鯊魚 /鲨鱼 (soa-hî) — fish
  • Chinese Mandarin: 鯊魚 /鲨鱼 (shāyú) — fish
  • Wu Chinese: 鯊魚 /鲨鱼 (1so-ng) — fish
  • Chuvash: акула (ak̬ula) — fish
  • West Circassian: хытыгъужъ (xətəğwuẑ) — fish
  • West Circassian: акул (akwul) — fish
  • West Circassian: хыхьэ (xəḥɛ) — fish
  • Ngazidja Comorian: panganyile — fish
  • Ngazidja Comorian: mbamba — fish
  • Cornish: morvleydh — fish
  • Crimean Tatar: akula — fish
  • Crimean Tatar: köpek balığı — fish
  • Czech: žralok — fish
  • Danish: haj — fish
  • Dhivehi: މިޔަރު (miyaru) — fish
  • Dutch: haai — fish
  • Esperanto: ŝarko — fish
  • Estonian: hai — fish
  • Faroese: hávur — fish
  • Fijian: qio — fish
  • Fiji Hindi: nangio — fish
  • Finnish: hai — fish
  • French: requin — fish
  • French: squale — fish
  • North Frisian: heifask — fish
  • Galician: quenlla — fish
  • Galician: cailón — fish
  • Galician: lamia — fish
  • Galician: marrago — fish
  • Galician: tiburón — fish
  • Galician: tabeirón — fish
  • Georgian: ზვიგენი (zvigeni) — fish
  • German: Hai — fish
  • German: Haifisch — fish
  • German: Hai — fish
  • Greek: καρχαρίας (karcharías) — fish
  • Ancient Greek: σέλαχος (sélakhos) — fish
  • Greenlandic: eqalussuaq — fish
  • Gujarati: શાર્ક (śārk) — fish
  • Haitian Creole: reken — fish
  • Hawaiian: manō — fish
  • Hebrew: כָּרִישׁ (karísh) — fish
  • Hindi: हाँगर (hāṅgar) — fish
  • Hindi: शार्क (śārk) — fish
  • Hungarian: cápa — fish
  • Icelandic: hákarl — fish
  • Ido: sharko — fish
  • Indonesian: hiu — fish
  • Irish: siorc — fish
  • Italian: squalo — fish
  • Italian: pescecane — fish
  • Japanese: 鮫 (same) — fish
  • Japanese: サメ (same) — fish
  • Javanese: ꦲꦶꦪꦸ (iyu) — fish
  • Jingpho: ngăman — fish
  • Kabuverdianu: tubaron — fish
  • Kabuverdianu: tibaron — fish
  • Kalmyk: аврһ заһсн (avrğ zağsn) — fish
  • Kannada: ಷಾರ್ಕ್ ಮೀನು (ṣārk mīnu) — fish
  • Kapampangan: pating — fish
  • Kapampangan: limpasut — fish
  • Kazakh: акула (akula) — fish
  • Khmer: ឆ្លាម (chlaam) — fish
  • Khmer: ត្រីឆ្លាម (trəy chlaam) — fish
  • Kongo: dukudaka — fish
  • Korean: 상어 (sang'eo) — fish
  • Middle Korean: 두루치 (twulwuchi) — fish
  • Central Kurdish: کۆسە (kose) — fish
  • Kyrgyz: акула (akula) — fish
  • Lao: ປາສະຫຼາມ (pā sa lām) — fish
  • Lao: ສະຫຼາມ (sa lām) — fish
  • Latin: squalus — fish
  • Latvian: haizivs — fish
  • Latvian: haizivis — fish
  • Ligurian: squæo — fish
  • Limburgish: hej — fish
  • Lithuanian: ryklys — fish
  • Low German: hai — fish
  • Luxembourgish: Hai — fish
  • Luxembourgish: Haifësch — fish
  • Macedonian: ајкула (ajkula) — fish
  • Maguindanao: bagisan — fish
  • Malagasy: akio — fish
  • Malay: ikan yu — fish
  • Malay: jerung — fish
  • Malay: yu — fish
  • Malayalam: സ്രാവ് (srāvŭ) — fish
  • Maltese: kelb il-baħar — fish
  • Maltese: xark — fish
  • Manx: sharkagh — fish
  • Māori: mangō — fish
  • Maranao: begisan — fish
  • Marathi: मोरी (morī) — fish
  • Mi'kmaq: siglati — fish
  • Mongolian: аварга загас (avarga zagas) — fish
  • Mongolian: дулан загас (dulan zagas) — fish
  • Mongolian: ᠠᠪᠤᠷᠭᠤ ᠵᠢᠭᠠᠰᠤ (aburɣu ǰiɣasu) — fish
  • Mongolian: ᠳᠤᠯᠠᠨ ᠵᠢᠭᠠᠰᠤ (dulan ǰiɣasu) — fish
  • Murik (New Guinea): kaŋgoŋasen — fish
  • Nauruan: ebawo — fish
  • Navajo: łóóʼ hashkéhé — fish
  • Nheengatu: iperú — fish
  • Niuean: magō — fish
  • Nivkh: ваӻс (vaġs) — fish
  • Norman: cheurque — fish
  • Norman: hau — fish
  • Norman: chörk — fish
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hai — fish
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: hai — fish
  • Occitan: làmia — fish
  • Old Tupi: yperu — fish
  • Pashto: منو (manó) — fish
  • Persian: کوسه (kuse) — fish
  • Pohnpeian: pako — fish
  • Polish: rekin — fish
  • Portuguese: tubarão — fish
  • Portuguese: cação — fish
  • Portuguese: escalho — fish
  • Portuguese: escalo — fish
  • Quechua: tiwrun — fish
  • Réunion Creole French: rokin — fish
  • Romanian: rechin — fish
  • Romansh: squagl — fish
  • Russian: аку́ла (akúla) — fish
  • Northern Sami: háia — fish
  • Skolt-Sami: akkli — fish
  • Samoan: malie — fish
  • Samoan: magō — fish
  • Samogitian: rīklīs — fish
  • Scottish Gaelic: siorc — fish
  • Scottish Gaelic: cearban — fish
  • Serbo-Croatian: ајкула — fish
  • Serbo-Croatian: мо̀рскӣ па̏с — fish
  • Serbo-Croatian: ajkula — fish
  • Serbo-Croatian: mòrskī pȁs — fish
  • Shan: ပႃငမၢၼ်း (pǎa ngǎ máan) — fish
  • Sindhi: مَنگَرُ (mãgaru) — fish
  • Sinhalese: මෝරා (mōrā) — fish
  • Slovak: žralok — fish
  • Slovene: morski pes — fish
  • Spanish: tiburón — fish
  • Spanish: escualo — fish
  • Sundanese: hiu — fish
  • Swahili: papa — fish
  • Swedish: haj — fish
  • Tagalog: pating — fish
  • Tajik: наҳанг (nahang) — fish
  • Tajik: кӯсамоҳӣ (küsamohi) — fish
  • Tamil: சுறா (cuṟā) — fish
  • Tatar: акула (aqula) — fish
  • Tausug: kaytan — fish
  • Telugu: సొర చేప (sora cēpa) — fish
  • Tetum: uu — fish
  • Thai: ฉลาม (chà-lǎam) — fish
  • Thai: ปลาฉลาม (bplaa chà-lǎam) — fish
  • Tibetan: གཏུམ་ཉ (gtum nya) — fish
  • Tlingit: chich.uwaa — fish
  • Tok Pisin: sak — fish
  • Tongan: ʻanga — fish
  • Turkish: köpek balığı — fish
  • Turkmen: akula — fish
  • Ukrainian: аку́ла (akúla) — fish
  • Urdu: شارک مچھلی (śārk maclī) — fish
  • Urdu: شارک (śārk) — fish
  • Uyghur: ئاكۇلا (akula) — fish
  • Uyghur: لەھەڭ (leheng) — fish
  • Uzbek: akula — fish
  • Veps: akul — fish
  • Vietnamese: cá mập — fish
  • Vietnamese: cá nhám — fish
  • Volapük: jak — fish
  • Waray-Waray: pating — fish
  • Welsh: morgi — fish
  • Welsh: siarc — fish
  • Woleaian: pagow — fish
  • Yiddish: הײַפֿיש (hayfish) — fish
  • Yiddish: שאַרק (shark) — fish
  • Yucatec Maya: xoc — fish
  • Zulu: ushaka class 1a/2a — fish
  • Czech: šejdíř — one who exploits others
  • Finnish: verenimijä — one who exploits others
  • Hungarian: cápa — one who exploits others
  • Hungarian: hiéna — one who exploits others
  • Hungarian: üzér — one who exploits others
  • Welsh: rheibiwr — one who exploits others
  • Welsh: twyllwr — one who exploits others
  • Finnish: haukka — relentless and resolute person
  • Polish: rekin — relentless and resolute person
  • Finnish: hai — good poker or pool player
  • Finnish: korttihai — good poker or pool player
  • Finnish: biljardihai — good poker or pool player
  • French: requin — person who feigns ineptitude
Real reading context

shark in complete knowledge articles