fish

Ⅰ.

fish [1] ► NOUN (pl. same or fishes) 1) a limbless cold-blooded animal with a backbone, gills and fins, living wholly in water. 2) the flesh of fish as food. 3) informal a person who is strange in a specified way: he's a cold fish.

► VERB 1) catch fish with a net or hook and line. 2) (fish out) pull or take out of water or a receptacle. 3) grope or feel for something concealed. 4) (fish for) try subtly or deviously to obtain (a response or information).

● all's fish that comes to the net — Cf. ↑all's fish that comes to the net

● a big fish — Cf. ↑a big fish

● a big fish in a small pond — Cf. ↑a big fish in a small pond

● a fish out of water — Cf. ↑a fish out of water

● have other (or bigger) fish to fry — Cf. ↑have other fish to fry

DERIVATIVES fishing noun.

USAGE The normal plural of fish is fish, as in he caught two huge fish ; however the older form fishes is still used when referring to different kinds of fish: freshwater fishes of the British Isles .

ORIGIN Old English.

Ⅱ.

fish [2] ► NOUN 1) (also fishplate) a flat connecting or strengthening piece fixed across a joint, e.g. in railway track. 2) a long curved piece of wood lashed to a ship's damaged mast or spar as a temporary repair.

► VERB ▪ join, strengthen, or mend with a fish.

ORIGIN probably from French fiche, from ficher 'to fix' .