shark

¹ American  

[shahrk] / ʃɑrk /

noun

1. any of a group of elongate elasmobranch, mostly marine fishes, certain species of which are large, voracious, and sometimes dangerous to humans.

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idioms

1. jump the shark, to begin a decline in quality, popularity, relevance, etc., after reaching a peak.

   Some TV shows have jumped the shark once a popular cast member left the show.

shark ² American  

[shahrk] / ʃɑrk /

noun

1. a person who preys greedily on others, as by cheating or usury.

2. Informal. a person who has unusual ability in a particular field.

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verb (used with object)

1. Archaic. to obtain by trickery or fraud; steal.

verb (used without object)

1. Archaic. to live by shifts and stratagems.

shark ¹ British  

/ ʃɑːk /

noun

1. a person who preys on or victimizes others, esp by swindling or extortion

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verb

1. archaic to obtain (something) by cheating or deception

shark ² British  

/ ʃɑːk /

noun

1. any of various usually ferocious selachian fishes, typically marine with a long body, two dorsal fins, rows of sharp teeth, and between five and seven gill slits on each side of the head

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Other Word Forms

• sharklike
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of shark¹

First recorded in 1560–70; origin uncertain

Origin of shark²

1590–1600; < German dialect Schork, variant of Schurke rascal

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Explanation

A shark is a large, carnivorous fish — although it's hard to calmly think, "That's just a large fish" when you run into a shark while you're swimming in the ocean. Almost all sharks live in the ocean, and while most of them are predators, the very largest sharks feed on plankton and tiny things like fish eggs. There are over four hundred species of shark, but only four have ever harmed humans; nevertheless, people have been afraid of these large, powerful animals for a long time. This dislike gave rise to the informal meaning of shark, "a person who swindles or preys on others."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shark

The team said the shark was believed to have been almost 30 years old and acted as an "incredible ambassador, helping to dispel many of the myths around this critically endangered species".

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

As the Orange County whale watchers were enjoying their unusual brush with warm-water orcas, a kayaker to the north had a brush with a great white shark.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

A visit from Baja orcas in Southern California and a kayaker’s close encounter with a great white shark in the San Francisco Bay Area highlighted a weekend of unexpected visitors along California’s shoreline.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

The marine biologist looked back to a 2004 incident in Massachusetts, when water jets were used to drive a great white shark away from a shallow pond.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

I half expected to see the shark’s white belly stretched out at the bottom of the harbor, as though its weight had split the bands and the shark had just sunk to the seafloor.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

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Related Words

• astute
• cagey
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• keen
• penetrating
• perceptive
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• wily
• wise

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