piranha

[ pi-rahn-yuh, -ran- or, often, -rah-nuh, -ran-uh ]

noun,plural pi·ra·nhas, (especially collectively) pi·ra·nha.
  1. any of several small South American freshwater fishes of the genus Serrasalmus that eat other fish and sometimes plants but occasionally also attack humans and other large animals that enter the water.

Origin of piranha

1
1865–70; <Portuguese <Tupi

Words Nearby piranha

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How to use piranha in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for piranha

piranha

piraa

/ (pɪˈrɑːnjə) /


noun
  1. any of various small freshwater voracious fishes of the genus Serrasalmus and related genera, of tropical America, having strong jaws and sharp teeth: family Characidae (characins)

Origin of piranha

1
C19: via Portuguese from Tupi: fish with teeth, from pirá fish + sainha tooth

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