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

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