barracuda
Americannoun
-
any of several elongated, predaceous, tropical and subtropical marine fishes of the genus Sphyraena, certain species of which are used for food.
-
Slang. a treacherous, greedy person.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of barracuda
First recorded in 1670–80; from Latin American Spanish; further origin unknown
Explanation
A barracuda is a big, long fish with very sharp teeth. If a scary-looking fanged fish swims in your direction when you're snorkeling in the tropics, you might want to paddle in the opposite direction as you yell, "Barracuda!" Humans are typically more dangerous to barracudas than the other way around, since they're popular as food. However, they are large enough that they've been known to bite swimmers, probably mistaking them for prey. Barracudas mainly live in very warm, tropical water, near coral reefs and tall sea grasses. We know this word dates from the seventeenth century from American Spanish, but beyond that its origin is a mystery.
Vocabulary lists containing barracuda
Amazing Animals, A-Z
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Amazing Animals, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Fast Pitch
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It takes a big collective effort of a dozen or more people to drag the wriggling mass of snapper, mackerel, barracuda, rays, and many more fish besides, onto the beach.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
Brian Keuer hauled in a small catch of red snapper and barracuda on a small, single-engine fishing boat on Thursday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025
They were followed by a number of fishes that are common consumed by these penguins, including barracuda, anchovy, sardine, herring and zooplankton.
From Salon ● Jan. 26, 2024
At first, she thought it might be a barracuda but that didn’t seem right, so she posted a photo of it on Twitter and asked what it could be.
From Seattle Times ● May 5, 2023
Gilly favored Miss Ellis with her best barracuda smile.
From "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson
It’s home to the Devil’s Pinnacle, a top dive site frequented by reef sharks, manta rays and barracudas.
From Seattle Times ● May 16, 2022
Giant Nile crocodiles, aggressive bull sharks and enormous barracudas are all frequently spotted in the lagoon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2018
And that was without ever making it to the permit-limited Sipadan, a 2,000-foot coral tower in open sea where hammerheads and barracudas school and where whale sharks are not an uncommon sight.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 11, 2016
But there they were, all the same, smiling fiendishly, like cartoon barracudas, as they ate up old orbits.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 30, 2015
And being a sheepman connected to the Devine Company was like trying to raise mutton in a tank full of sharks, barracudas, and piranha fish.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
