sailfish

[ seyl-fish ]

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

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

Origin of sailfish

First recorded in 1585–95; sail + fish

Words Nearby sailfish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sailfish in a sentence

According to Martinez, sailfish or marlin are commonly made into tiritas in Guerrero.
Fresh fish tiritas are a faster way to ceviche | Daniela Galarza | August 26, 2021 | Washington Post
This picture was posted on his Facebook page and it shows him triumphantly holding a big sailfish fish he has just caught.
The 9/11 Scam: New York’s Disability Disgrace | Michael Daly | January 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The sailfish tapped again, then took hold so hard and ran off so swiftly that I jerked sooner than usual.
Tales of Fishes | Zane Grey
The sailfish saw the shark and, waking up, he fought a good deal harder than before the sharks appeared upon the scene.
Tales of Fishes | Zane Grey
We stowed him up in the bow and got under way again, and scarcely had I let my bait far enough astern when a sailfish hit it.
Tales of Fishes | Zane Grey

The sailfish sheered round on the surface, with tail and bill out, while the shark swam about five feet under him.
Tales of Fishes | Zane Grey
Then I saw a smashing break of a sailfish coming out sideways, sending the water in white sheets.
Tales of Fishes | Zane Grey

British Dictionary definitions for sailfish

sailfish

/ (ˈseɪlˌfɪʃ) /

nounplural -fish or -fishes

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
another name for basking shark

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

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