oarfish

[ awr-fish, ohr- ]

/ ˈɔrˌfɪʃ, ˈoʊr- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR oarfish ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural (especially collectively) oar·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) oar·fish·es.

any long, ribbon-shaped, silvery fish of the genus Regalecus, of deep tropical waters, having a red dorsal fin along the spine that rises to a crest, and reaching a length of 30 feet (9 meters).

RELATED WORDS

hydra, kraken, leviathan

Nearby words

oap, oapc, oapec, oar, oared, oarfish, oarlock, oars, oarsman, oarweed, oary

Origin of oarfish

First recorded in 1855–60; oar + fish

Also called ribbonfish.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for oarfish

The first sighting of the oarfish was an 18-footer that surprised a diver off Catalina Island.
Fishy Mystery: Are Beached Oarfish Trying to Tell Us Something?|Kevin Bailey|October 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The oarfish is the largest living bony fish, reaching up to 35 feet in length.
Fishy Mystery: Are Beached Oarfish Trying to Tell Us Something?|Kevin Bailey|October 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In reality, since strandings of oarfish are rare, it will be difficult—or impossible—to determine the cause.
Fishy Mystery: Are Beached Oarfish Trying to Tell Us Something?|Kevin Bailey|October 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
According to Japanese mythology, the oarfish is a messenger from the dragon god of the sea.
Fishy Mystery: Are Beached Oarfish Trying to Tell Us Something?|Kevin Bailey|October 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Beaching of the oarfish is a very rare occurrence—the last time it happened was 2010—so two in one week is certainly an oddity.
Fishy Mystery: Are Beached Oarfish Trying to Tell Us Something?|Kevin Bailey|October 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for oarfish

oarfish

/ (ˈɔːˌfɪʃ) /

noun plural -fish or -fishes

a very long ribbonfish, Regalecus glesne, with long slender ventral finsAlso called: king of the herrings

Word Origin for oarfish

C19: referring to the flattened oarlike body

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