nurse shark

American  

noun

1. any of several sharks of the family Orectolobidae, especially Ginglymostoma cirratum, occurring in shallow waters from Rhode Island to Brazil and the Gulf of California to Ecuador.

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nurse shark British  

noun

1. any of various sharks of the family Orectolobidae, such as Ginglymostoma cirratum of the Atlantic Ocean, having an external groove on each side of the head between the mouth and nostril

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Etymology

Origin of nurse shark

First recorded in 1850–55; allegedly so called because the male habitually hangs on to the female's fin with his teeth

Example Sentences

Last season, almost 90% of the animals caught in NSW's nets were not target species – including 11 critically endangered, and largely docile, grey nurse sharks.

From BBC

Throughout the afternoon, we catch, sample and tag two more nurse sharks and a slate-gray bull shark.

From Scientific American

The area’s status as a breeding ground for nurse sharks could be jeopardized by a direct hit it suffered during Hurricane Ian in September, Whitney said.

From Seattle Times

In 1984, she helped campaign to make the grey nurse shark the first protected shark species in the world.

From New York Times

On the roof above the reef, Anna Garcia, holding a blue and white target shaped like a football, lowers herself into the water on a mechanical platform and calls out for Mikey the nurse shark.

From Washington Times