sailfish

American  

[seyl-fish] / ˈseɪlˌfɪʃ /

noun

sailfish, plural sailfishes plural

1. a large tropical and subtropical marine fish, Istiophorus platypterus, of the family Istiophoridae, distinguished by a long, high dorsal fin, long pelvic fins, and a double keel on each side of the tail.

2. any of several related fishes having a high dorsal fin.

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sailfish British  

/ ˈseɪlˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any of several large scombroid game fishes of the genus Istiophorus, such as I. albicans ( Atlantic sailfish ), of warm and tropical seas: family Istiophoridae. They have an elongated upper jaw and a long sail-like dorsal fin

2. another name for basking shark

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sailfish
  plural
• sailfishes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sailfish

First recorded in 1585–95; sail + fish

Example Sentences

"We already have footage of hunting behavior of sailfish and mahi mahi where we have seen even more pronounced and more variable color change than in the marlin," Burns says.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2024

A large sailfish leapt from the water and gored an elderly Maryland woman last week during a fishing excursion off Florida’s eastern coast.

From Washington Times • Jul. 24, 2022

According to Martinez, sailfish or marlin are commonly made into tiritas in Guerrero.

From Washington Post • Aug. 26, 2021

Hansen said she and her husband used their boat to catch tuna, marlin and sailfish.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2019

The living room felt like a Key West bed-and-breakfast, complete with a stuffed sailfish mounted on the wall above a wicker sofa set upholstered in palm-tree-patterned fabric.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson