marlin
noun
any large, saltwater game fish of the genera Makaira and Tetrapterus, having the upper jaw elongated into a spearlike structure.
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marlin
1 American
[mahr-lin]
/ ˈmɑr lɪn /
noun
-
marlin,
plural
-
marlins
plural
Marlin
2
American
[mahr-lin]
/ ˈmɑr lɪn /
noun
marlin
British
/ ˈmɑːlɪn /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
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
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 ● Dec. 29, 2024
They also quantified the contrast of the stripes on the two attacking marlins compared to a randomly chosen marlin that wasn't attacking.
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 gleaming sportfisherman was tied stem-first to a wooden dock, where a monster blue marlin hung glassyeyed from a tall pole.
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
Without fail, the miniature version of me would blubber at Sully the polka dot monster reuniting with Boo, and Marlin the clownfish traversing the ocean to find his son.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
Had it been a Steller, the boat would have capsized, Marlin said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
Drew Greenblatt, president of Baltimore-based metal product manufacturer Marlin Steel, worries however that Friday's court ruling was "a setback" for the United States.
From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026
The same company's fleet includes the oil tanker Marlin Luanda, which was damaged by a missile on Saturday.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2024
He thought, What if she isn’t in Marlin Village waiting, when I arrive?
From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury
The discovery suggests that marlins have more complicated communication channels than had been suspected.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 26, 2024
Huge marlins were a bit disconcerting, Harrison admits, since the team had heard the fish had a proclivity for trying to poke holes in boats with their spearlike bills.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 23, 2022
Foster, who chose teaching so that he could fish in the summers and carry on his father’s business on Hatteras, remains under the spell of marlins.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 10, 2020
Salvay tried to explain the head-shaking odds of two check-chasing marlins being, for tournament purposes, the same.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2019
Fish gathered to look at us—a school of barracudas, some curious marlins.
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
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