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barracuda

[ bar-uh-koo-duh ]
/ ˌbær əˈku də /
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noun, plural (especially collectively) bar·ra·cu·da, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) bar·ra·cu·das for 1; bar·ra·cu·das for 2.
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.
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Origin of barracuda

First recorded in 1670–80; from Latin American Spanish; further origin unknown
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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British Dictionary definitions for barracuda

barracuda
/ (ˌbærəˈkjuːdə) /

noun plural -da or -das
any predatory marine teleost fish of the mostly tropical family Sphyraenidae, esp Sphyraena barracuda . They have an elongated body, strong teeth, and a protruding lower jaw

Word Origin for barracuda

C17: from American Spanish, of unknown origin
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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