fish

fish1 [ fıʃ ] (plural fish or fish|es) noun ***

1. ) count an animal that lives in water and swims. It breathes by using its gills and moves by using its tail and fins . Saltwater fish live in the ocean and freshwater fish live in rivers and lakes:

Little silver fish swam past.

Did you catch any fish?

Kenny keeps tropical fish.

2. ) uncount fish eaten as food. Fish and other sea animals such as SHRIMPS are called seafood:

They serve the best fresh fish and seafood dishes.

3. ) count AMERICAN INFORMAL someone who is easy to cheat

a big fish in a small pond

someone who is important or powerful only because there are not many other people competing with them

a cold fish

someone who is not friendly

drink like a fish

to drink a lot of lot of alcohol regularly

a fish out of water

someone who is in a situation that they know nothing about or are not used to

have bigger/other fish to fry

to have more important things to do or think about

neither fish nor fowl

used for saying that you do not know what something is

there are plenty more fish in the sea SPOKEN

used for telling someone whose boyfriend or girlfriend has left them that they will soon have another relationship

=> FISH1, KETTLE

fish

fish 2 [ fıʃ ] verb **

1. ) intransitive to try to catch fish, for example using a net or a FISHING ROD:

The ship was not permitted to fish in Canadian waters.

fish for: The boys were fishing for trout.

go fishing: Les goes fishing almost every weekend.

a ) transitive to catch fish in a particular area of water:

Many boats fish these waters.

2. ) intransitive to try to find something by feeling inside a bag, a box, etc.:

fish for: She stopped and fished for her door key.

fish around: Matthew started fishing around in a file of papers.

3. ) intransitive to try to make someone tell you something, without asking them directly:

fish for: Having trouble? he asked casually, fishing for information.

fish for compliments: When I said I was overweight, I wasn't fishing for compliments.

fish or cut bait AMERICAN SPOKEN

used for telling someone to do something they have been talking about or else admit that they do not intend to do it

,fish `out phrasal verb transitive

1. ) to pull someone or something out of the water:

A tourist jumped into the canal to fish the boy out.

2. ) to pull something out of a bag or other container:

She reached into her bag and fished out an expensive-looking pen.