Marlin

¹ American

[mahr-lin] / ˈmɑr lɪn /

noun

a male given name.

marlin ² American

[mahr-lin] / ˈmɑr lɪn /

noun

plural

marlin,

plural

marlins

any large, saltwater game fish of the genera Makaira and Tetrapterus, having the upper jaw elongated into a spearlike structure.

marlin British

/ ˈmɑːlɪn /

noun

Also called: spearfish. any of several large scombroid food and game fishes of the genera Makaira, Istiompax, and Tetrapturus, of warm and tropical seas, having a very long upper jaw: family Istiophoridae

"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

Etymology

Origin of marlin

1915–20, short for marlinespike

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.

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

At the Oistins Fish Market in Bridgetown, flying fish are still available, along with marlin, mahi-mahi and tuna, though only a handful of stalls are open.

From BBC

Striped marlin are some of the fastest animals on the planet and one of the ocean's top predators.

From Science Daily

"The poor marlin fish must have got a massive headache," she said.

From BBC

Soon, Crouser will be on a boat in Mexico and reeling in marlin with his fly-fishing rod.

From Seattle Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023