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.

---

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

---

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

See Examples For:

nurse shark

While Tayane Dalazen was bitten by a nurse shark - known as a more docile species - some influencers have been filmed touching tiger sharks and even great whites.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

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

From New York Times ● Jul. 27, 2021

Immunologist Helen Dooley of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore draws blood from the fin of a nurse shark.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 11, 2018

We swam to a coral ledge where a nurse shark often lounges.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 27, 2016

Mister Lochana said it was a nurse shark, and my mom grabbed me and held me so tight I couldn’t breathe, even though Mister Lochana promised us nurse sharks don’t bite.

From "Hurricane Child" by Kheryn Callender