silverfish

American  

[sil-ver-fish] / ˈsɪl vərˌfɪʃ /

noun

• silverfish,
  plural
• silverfishes
  plural

1. a white or silvery goldfish, Carassius auratus.

2. any of various other silvery fishes, as the tarpon, silversides, or shiner.

3. a wingless, silvery-gray thysanuran insect, Lepisma saccharina, that feeds on starch, damaging books, wallpaper, etc.

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silverfish British  

/ ˈsɪlvəˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. a silver variety of the goldfish Carassius auratus

2. any of various other silvery fishes, such as the moonfish Monodactylus argenteus

3. any of various small primitive wingless insects of the genus Lepisma, esp L. saccharina, that have long antennae and tail appendages and occur in buildings, feeding on food scraps, bookbindings, etc: order Thysanura (bristletails)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• silverfish
  plural
• silverfishes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of silverfish

First recorded in 1695–1705; silver + fish

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

silverfish

Old manuscripts are usually infested with woodworms, silverfish or “other microscopic creatures with a love of paper.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026

Dear Heloise: I have lived in my house for many years, and from time to time there seems to be all sorts of different sizes of silverfish.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 16, 2021

Peter and his colleagues collect silverfish that have been attracted to the lights they have set up on the Nile river in Bujagali, Uganda, 12 November.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 9, 2020

The show returned for its second season on Friday, with last season’s cult leader plot resolved but Kimmy and friends still contending with arranged marriages, jilted fiancées, silverfish, exploding silos and other existential challenges.

From New York Times ● Apr. 15, 2016

I opened up the windows to let the breeze in and blow out the smell of old air and silverfish.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

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