1915–20, short for marlinespike
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His passion is fishing — Bagby dreams of reeling in a deep-sea marlin — but no hobby can nourish his soul as much as helping others.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2025
To explore this question in the new study, the researchers analyzed 12 high-resolution video clips, each containing two separate attacks on a school of sardines by two different marlin.
From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2024
For decades, Wild Oceans focused its efforts on tuna, marlin, swordfish, and sharks—in other words, big fish.
From Slate • Feb. 4, 2024
"The poor marlin fish must have got a massive headache," she said.
From BBC • Jan. 11, 2024
Even though it was just a fishing boat, not a charter boat that took tourists for marlin, Captain Ortega kept it well.
From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty
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.
