catfish

[ kat-fish ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, plural (especially collectively) cat·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) cat·fish·es.

any of the numerous fishes of the order or suborder Nematognathi (or Siluroidei), characterized by barbels around the mouth and the absence of scales.
a wolffish of the genus Anarhichas.
any of various other fishes having a fancied resemblance to a cat.
Slang. a person who assumes a false identity or personality on the internet, especially on social media websites, as to deceive, manipulate, or swindle.

Slang. to deceive, swindle, etc., by assuming a false identity or personality online:
He fell in love with her online before he realized he'd been catfished.

catfish

/ ˈkætˌfɪʃ /

any of numerous mainly freshwater teleost fishes having whisker-like barbels around the mouth, esp the silurids of Europe and Asia and the horned pouts of North America
another name for wolffish

Origin of catfish¹

First recorded in 1605–15; cat + fish

Latta, home to the historic Catfish Creek Baptist Church, is a predominantly white town of 1,500 in Dillon County.

A sop to lawmakers who represent congressional districts consisting entirely of catfish ponds.

They claim FDA did not have proper resources to inspect imported catfish.

Bad news is that foreign fishermen will have to bring each catfish to Washington for inspection.

Good news is that $20 million DoA catfish office has comfy chairs and recent issues of catfish newsletters and magazines.

I catched a good big catfish, too, and Jim cleaned him with his knife, and fried him.

I catched a catfish and haggled him open with my saw, and towards sundown I started my camp fire and had supper.

Channel catfish from stations W-3, A-3, and C-5 were taken on hook and line.

It is situated a short distance over the top of the hill leading up from Catfish, and a little over a mile from Washington.

He opened up business in 1781, and was licensed by the court to dispense the ardent at “Catfish Camp.”

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