catfish
Americannoun
plural
catfish,plural
catfishes-
any of the numerous fishes of the order or suborder Nematognathi (or Siluroidei), characterized by barbels around the mouth and the absence of scales.
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a wolffish of the genus Anarhichas.
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any of various other fishes having a fancied resemblance to a cat.
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Slang. a person who assumes a false identity or personality on the internet, especially on social media websites, as to deceive, manipulate, or swindle.
verb (used with or without object)
noun
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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
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another name for wolffish
Usage
What does catfish mean? Aside from being a delicious kind of river fish, a catfish is a slang term for someone who seduces a person with a false identity online.
Etymology
Origin of catfish
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.
Mariani told the BBC: "In my experience with fish and chips, three out of 10 is quite a lot - I don't recall seeing this level of catfish."
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
The golden mahseer and goonch catfish are some of the thirty flagship fish species which have now been prioritised for global conservation by the UN in a new report.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
Fishing for the invasive blue catfish in the Potomac downstream of D.C. has skyrocketed in recent years, and there is concern about how the fishery will be affected.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
Frankie Delaney said he got sick after fishing for blue catfish at a favorite spot upriver from Georgetown in January, while sewage was still pouring into the river.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
Only a faint scent of fried catfish lingered on the night air.
From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck
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.
