shark
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Topics: biology
history
human-sciences
ichthyology
natural-sciences
paleontology
sciences
zoology
Etymology: From Middle English shark (used by Thomas Beckington in 1442 to refer to a kind of fish), of uncertain origin. Most likely from a semantic extension of the German-derived shark (“scoundrel”), see below. The fish was originally called a dogfish or haye in English and Middle English. Its name in Old English is unknown, although some uses of the word hranfisċ that do not appear to carry the sense of "whale" may have been referencing it.
alternative theories
Some older dictionaries derived the word from Latin c(h)archarias, c(h)acharus (from Ancient Greek), but admit that "the requisite [Old French] forms intermediate between E. shark and L. carcharus are not found, and it is not certain that the name [shark] was orig. applied to the fish; it may have been first used of a greedy man".
Other older authorities speculated that the word might derive from Yucatec Maya xok (“fish”) (/ʃok/), as John Hawkins brought a specimen from the area where Mayan was spoken to England in the 1560s. However, the 1442 use rules out a New World origin for the word.
Inflected forms:
form: sharks
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: sharke
pos: noun
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: sharks
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: sharking
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: sharked
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: sharked
pos: verb
tags: past
Senses:
gloss: Any predatory fish of the superorder Selachimorpha, with a cartilaginous skeleton and 5 to 7 gill slits on each side of its head.
pos: noun
tags: countable
examples: The straunge fishe is in length xvij. foote and iij. foote broad, and in compas about the bodie vj. foote; and is round snowted, short headdid, hauing iij. rankes of teeth on either iawe, …. Also it hath v. gills of eache side of the head, shoing white. Ther is no proper name for it that I know, but that sertayne men of Captayne Haukinses doth call it a sharke.
He said he had spoken to a woman who was kayaking off Catalina Island, California, in 2008 when a shark slammed her kayak from underneath and sent her flying into the air. She then landed on the back of the shark, Collier said. "At that point the shark started to swim out to sea, so she jumped off its back," Collier said.
gloss: Flesh of this animal, consumed as food.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: Shark has traditionally, although in some secrecy, been a staple food in European, American and Australian food.
gloss: Any fish of the class Chondrichthyes, especially an extinct shark-like holocephalian.
pos: noun
tags: broadly
countable
uncountable
examples: Cladoselache, a well-preserved Devonian shark fossil from Ohio. Here the cartilages and some muscle tissues are preserved intact
gloss: A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
gloss: A noctuid moth of species Cucullia umbratica.
pos: noun
tags: countable
gloss: A university student who is not a fresher that has engaged in sexual activity with a fresher; usually habitually and with multiple people.
pos: noun
tags: UK
countable
gloss: To fish for sharks.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
rare
gloss: Of a university student who is not a fresher (first-year undergraduate), and especially towards the start of the academic year:
pos: verb
tags: UK
derogatory
mildly
transitive
gloss: Of a university student who is not a fresher (first-year undergraduate), and especially towards the start of the academic year:
pos: verb
tags: UK
derogatory
intransitive
mildly
Synonyms: haye
Related words: barracuda
dogfish
hammerhead
porbeagle
smooth hound
thresher
white pointer
wobbegong
Derived words: angel shark
angelshark
Atlantic sharpnose shark
bala shark
bamboo shark
basking shark
bigeyed sixgill shark
blacktip reef shark
blind shark
blue shark
bluntnose sixgill shark
bonnethead shark
bramble shark
broadfin shark
brown shark
bullhead shark
bull shark
card shark
cardshark
carpet shark
carpetshark
catshark
cat shark
collared carpet shark
cookiecutter shark
copper shark
cow shark
crocodile shark
crow shark
deepwater shark
dogfish shark
dusky shark
eagle shark
epaulette shark
fox shark
freshwater shark
frilled shark
frill shark
Ganges shark
ghost shark
goblin shark
gollumshark
gray reef shark
grey reef shark
great mackerel shark
great white shark
Greenland shark
grey nurse shark
ground shark
gulper shark
gummyshark
gummy shark
hammerhead shark
horn shark
hound shark
houndshark
iridescent shark
kitefin shark
landshark
lantern shark
lanternshark
lemon shark
leopard shark
lost shark
mackerel shark
mako shark
megamouth shark
megashark
megatooth shark
mudshark
mud shark
narrowtooth shark
nurse shark
oceanic whitetip shark
prickly shark
pyjama shark
rainbow shark
redfin shark
red-fin shark
red-finned shark
red-tailed black shark
red tailed shark
redtail shark
reef shark
requiem shark
river shark
rough shark
ruby shark
salmon shark
sandbar shark
sand shark
sand tiger shark
saw shark
sawshark
school shark
sharpnose sevengill shark
sharpnose shark
sharptooth lemon shark
shyshark
Siamese bala shark
sicklefin lemon shark
silver shark
sixgill shark
sleepershark
sleeper shark
slough shark
smooth shark
southern African frilled shark
spiny shark
striped catshark
swellshark
thickskin shark
thresher shark
tiger shark
tricolor shark
tricolour shark
walking shark
weasel shark
whaler shark
whale shark
whitecheek shark
whitefin shark
white shark
winghead shark
zebra shark
Translations:
lang: Abkhaz
word: аӷлам
roman: ağlam
lang: Afrikaans
word: haai
lang: Albanian
word: peshkaqen
lang: Amharic
word: ሻርክ
roman: šark
lang: Arabic
word: لُخْم
roman: luḵm
lang: Arabic
word: قِرْش
roman: qirš
lang: Arabic
word: سَمَكَةُ الْقِرْش
roman: samakatu l-qirš
lang: Arabic
word: سمكة القرش
roman: samaket el-ʔerš
lang: Arabic
word: يريور
roman: yaryūr
lang: Arabic
word: قرش
roman: girš
lang: Iraqi Arabic
word: كوسج
roman: kōsaɡ̌
lang: Arabic
word: قرش
roman: qarš
lang: Arabic
word: مراخو
roman: Tangiers
lang: Arabic
word: كلب البحر
roman: kelb l-baḥr
lang: Tunisian Arabic
word: ركان
roman: rekān
lang: Aragonese
word: tiburón
lang: Armenian
word: շնաձուկ
roman: šnajuk
lang: Assamese
word: হাঙৰ
roman: haṅor
lang: Assamese
word: হাংগৰ
roman: haṅgor
lang: Asturian
word: tiburón
lang: Asturian
word: escualu
lang: Azerbaijani
word: köpək balığı
lang: Azerbaijani
word: akula
lang: Baluchi
word: پاگاس
roman: págás
lang: Bashkir
word: акула
roman: akula
lang: Basque
word: marrazo
lang: Belarusian
word: аку́ла
roman: akúla
lang: Bengali
word: হাঙ্গর
roman: haṅgor
lang: Bengali
word: হাঙর
roman: haṅor
lang: Breton
word: rinkin
lang: Breton
word: morvleiz
lang: Bulgarian
word: аку́ла
roman: akúla
lang: Burmese
word: ငါးမန်း
roman: nga:man:
lang: Catalan
word: tauró
lang: Catalan
word: esqual
lang: Cebuano
word: iho
lang: Chechen
word: гӏоркхма
roman: ğorqma
lang: Cherokee
word: ᏗᎧᏳᎦ
roman: dikayuga
lang: Chinese Cantonese
word: 鯊魚 /鲨鱼
lang: Eastern Min Chinese
word: 鯊魚 /鲨鱼
roman: săi-ngṳ̀
lang: Hakka Chinese
word: 鯊魚 /鲨鱼
roman: sâ-ǹg
lang: Chinese
word: 鯊魚 /鲨鱼
roman: soa-hî
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 鯊魚 /鲨鱼
roman: shāyú
lang: Wu Chinese
word: 鯊魚 /鲨鱼
roman: ¹so-ng
lang: Chuvash
word: акула
roman: ak̬ula
lang: West Circassian
word: хытыгъужъ
roman: xətəğʷuẑ
lang: West Circassian
word: акул
roman: akʷul
lang: West Circassian
word: хыхьэ
roman: xəḥɛ
lang: Ngazidja Comorian
word: panganyile
lang: Ngazidja Comorian
word: mbamba
lang: Cornish
word: morvleydh
lang: Crimean Tatar
word: akula
lang: Crimean Tatar
word: köpek balığı
lang: Czech
word: žralok
lang: Danish
word: haj
lang: Dhivehi
word: މިޔަރު
roman: miyaru
lang: Dutch
word: haai
lang: Esperanto
word: ŝarko
lang: Estonian
word: hai
lang: Faroese
word: hávur
lang: Fijian
word: qio
lang: Fiji Hindi
word: nangio
lang: Finnish
word: hai
lang: French
word: requin
lang: French
word: squale
lang: North Frisian
word: heifask
lang: Galician
word: quenlla
lang: Galician
word: cailón
lang: Galician
word: lamia
lang: Galician
word: marrago
lang: Galician
word: tiburón
lang: Galician
word: tabeirón
lang: Georgian
word: ზვიგენი
roman: zvigeni
lang: German
word: Hai
lang: German
word: Haifisch
lang: German
word: Hai
lang: Greek
word: καρχαρίας
roman: karcharías
lang: Ancient Greek
word: σέλαχος
roman: sélakhos
lang: Greenlandic
word: eqalussuaq
lang: Gujarati
word: શાર્ક
roman: śārk
lang: Haitian Creole
word: reken
lang: Hawaiian
word: manō
lang: Hebrew
word: כָּרִישׁ
roman: karísh
lang: Hindi
word: हाँगर
roman: hāṅgar
lang: Hindi
word: शार्क
roman: śārk
lang: Hungarian
word: cápa
lang: Icelandic
word: hákarl
lang: Ido
word: sharko
lang: Indonesian
word: hiu
lang: Irish
word: siorc
lang: Italian
word: squalo
lang: Italian
word: pescecane
lang: Japanese
word: 鮫
roman: same
lang: Japanese
word: サメ
roman: same
lang: Javanese
word: ꦲꦶꦪꦸ
roman: iyu
lang: Jingpho
word: ngăman
lang: Kabuverdianu
word: tubaron
lang: Kabuverdianu
word: tibaron
lang: Kalmyk
word: аврһ заһсн
roman: avrğ zağsn
lang: Kannada
word: ಷಾರ್ಕ್ ಮೀನು
roman: ṣārk mīnu
lang: Kapampangan
word: pating
lang: Kapampangan
word: limpasut
lang: Kazakh
word: акула
roman: akula
lang: Khmer
word: ឆ្លាម
roman: chlaam
lang: Khmer
word: ត្រីឆ្លាម
roman: trəy chlaam
lang: Kongo
word: dukudaka
lang: Korean
word: 상어
roman: sang'eo
lang: Middle Korean
word: 두루치
roman: twulwuchi
lang: Central Kurdish
word: کۆسە
roman: kose
lang: Kyrgyz
word: акула
roman: akula
lang: Lao
word: ປາສະຫຼາມ
roman: pā sa lām
lang: Lao
word: ສະຫຼາມ
roman: sa lām
lang: Latin
word: squalus
lang: Latvian
word: haizivs
lang: Latvian
word: haizivis
lang: Ligurian
word: squæo
lang: Limburgish
word: hej
lang: Lithuanian
word: ryklys
lang: Low German
word: hai
lang: Luxembourgish
word: Hai
lang: Luxembourgish
word: Haifësch
lang: Macedonian
word: ајкула
roman: ajkula
lang: Maguindanao
word: bagisan
lang: Malagasy
word: akio
lang: Malay
word: ikan yu
lang: Malay
word: jerung
lang: Malay
word: yu
lang: Malayalam
word: സ്രാവ്
roman: srāvŭ
lang: Maltese
word: kelb il-baħar
lang: Maltese
word: xark
lang: Manx
word: sharkagh
lang: Māori
word: mangō
lang: Maranao
word: begisan
lang: Marathi
word: मोरी
roman: morī
lang: Mi'kmaq
word: siglati
lang: Mongolian
word: аварга загас
roman: avarga zagas
lang: Mongolian
word: дулан загас
roman: dulan zagas
lang: Mongolian
word: ᠠᠪᠤᠷᠭᠤ ᠵᠢᠭᠠᠰᠤ
roman: aburɣu ǰiɣasu
lang: Mongolian
word: ᠳᠤᠯᠠᠨ ᠵᠢᠭᠠᠰᠤ
roman: dulan ǰiɣasu
lang: Murik (New Guinea)
word: kaŋgoŋasen
lang: Nauruan
word: ebawo
lang: Navajo
word: łóóʼ hashkéhé
lang: Nheengatu
word: iperú
lang: Niuean
word: magō
lang: Nivkh
word: ваӻс
roman: vaġs
lang: Norman
word: cheurque
lang: Norman
word: hau
lang: Norman
word: chörk
lang: Norwegian Bokmål
word: hai
lang: Norwegian Nynorsk
word: hai
lang: Occitan
word: làmia
lang: Old Tupi
word: yperu
lang: Pashto
word: منو
roman: manó
lang: Persian
word: کوسه
roman: kuse
lang: Polish
word: rekin
lang: Portuguese
word: tubarão
lang: Portuguese
word: cação
lang: Portuguese
word: escalho
lang: Portuguese
word: escalo
lang: Quechua
word: tiwrun
lang: Romanian
word: rechin
lang: Romansh
word: squagl
lang: Russian
word: аку́ла
roman: akúla
lang: Northern Sami
word: háia
lang: Skolt-Sami
word: akkli
lang: Samoan
word: malie
lang: Samoan
word: magō
lang: Samogitian
word: rīklīs
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: siorc
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: cearban
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: ајкула
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: мо̀рскӣ па̏с
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: ajkula
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: mòrskī pȁs
lang: Shan
word: ပႃငမၢၼ်း
roman: pǎa ngǎ máan
lang: Sindhi
word: مَنگَرُ
roman: mãgaru
lang: Sinhalese
word: මෝරා
roman: mōrā
lang: Slovak
word: žralok
lang: Slovene
word: morski pes
lang: Spanish
word: tiburón
lang: Spanish
word: escualo
lang: Sundanese
word: hiu
lang: Swahili
word: papa
lang: Swedish
word: haj
lang: Tagalog
word: pating
lang: Tajik
word: наҳанг
roman: nahang
lang: Tajik
word: кӯсамоҳӣ
roman: küsamohi
lang: Tamil
word: சுறா
roman: cuṟā
lang: Tatar
word: акула
roman: aqula
lang: Tausug
word: kaytan
lang: Telugu
word: సొర చేప
roman: sora cēpa
lang: Tetum
word: uu
lang: Thai
word: ฉลาม
roman: chà-lǎam
lang: Thai
word: ปลาฉลาม
roman: bplaa chà-lǎam
lang: Tibetan
word: གཏུམ་ཉ
roman: gtum nya
lang: Tlingit
word: chich.uwaa
lang: Tok Pisin
word: sak
lang: Tongan
word: ʻanga
lang: Turkish
word: köpek balığı
lang: Turkmen
word: akula
lang: Ukrainian
word: аку́ла
roman: akúla
lang: Urdu
word: شارک مچھلی
roman: śārk maclī
lang: Urdu
word: شارک
roman: śārk
lang: Uyghur
word: ئاكۇلا
roman: akula
lang: Uyghur
word: لەھەڭ
roman: leheng
lang: Uzbek
word: akula
lang: Veps
word: akul
lang: Vietnamese
word: cá mập
lang: Vietnamese
word: cá nhám
lang: Volapük
word: jak
lang: Waray-Waray
word: pating
lang: Welsh
word: morgi
lang: Welsh
word: siarc
lang: Woleaian
word: pagow
lang: Yiddish
word: הײַפֿיש
roman: hayfish
lang: Yiddish
word: שאַרק
roman: shark
lang: Yucatec Maya
word: xoc
lang: Zulu
word: ushaka class 1a/2a