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

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

The department defines an incident as “any documented case where a shark approached and touched a person in the water, or touched a person’s surfboard, kayak, paddleboard, etc.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

She called the shark a "source of hope and joy" and insisted, "I don't think we should evict her mercilessly like this."

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

The local mayor said the shark brought "the kind of publicity even billions of dollars cannot buy" to the port.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

“I don’t know what’s worse—some moron stealing my shark or hauling that thing twenty miles to shore only to have it fall in the harbor.”

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

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Related Words

• astute
• cagey
• canny
• crafty
• farsighted
• ingenious
• judicious
• keen
• penetrating
• perceptive
• probing
• prudent
• sensible
• sharp
• slick
• sly
• smart
• wily
• wise

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