View synonyms for

oarfish

[ awr-fish, ohr- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural (especially collectively) oarfish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) oarfishes.

any long, ribbon-shaped, silvery fish of the genus Regalecus, of deep tropical waters, having a red dorsal fin along the spine that rises to a crest, and reaching a length of 30 feet (9 meters).

oarfish

/ ˈɔːˌ��ɪʃ /

noun

a very long ribbonfish, Regalecus glesne, with long slender ventral fins Also calledking of the herrings

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of oarfish¹

First recorded in 1855–60; oar + fish

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of oarfish¹

C19: referring to the flattened oarlike body

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The oarfish has long been referred to as a doomsday fish, a reference that likely stems from Japanese folklore, which considered spotting such a fish a bad omen of natural disasters.

From

It’s rare to see an oarfish up close in California; only 22 have washed ashore since 1901, according to UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

From

Anyone in Southern California interested in seeing one up close can visit the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, where an oarfish found in Catalina Island is on display.

From

�� caused the diesel electric-powered submarine to plummet to such depths, below where giant octopi and oarfish tend to roam, is unclear.

From

Who wouldn't think, for example, that the giant oarfish, the longest bony fish in the world was some kind serpent?

From

oared oarlock

Browse