English Explanatory Dictionary

catfish

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any fish of the order Siluriformes, mainly found in fresh water, lacking scales, and having barbels like whiskers around the mouth.
  2. The meat of such a fish, popular in the Southern U.S. and Central Europe.
verb
  1. To fish for catfish.
noun
  1. Someone who creates a false profile on a social media platform in order to deceive people.
  2. Such a false profile.
verb
  1. To create and operate a fake online profile to deceive (someone).

Pronunciation

/ˈkætfɪʃ/ [ˈkʰæt̚fɪʃ] En-au-catfish.ogg

Word forms

catfish catfishes catfishing catfished

Etymology

From cat + fish. Likely so named for its prominent barbels like a cat's whiskers. Compare West Frisian katfisk (“catfish”), Dutch katvis (“catfish”). Compare also German Seekatze (“catfish”, literally “sea-cat”).

Synonyms

catlet sheat sheatfish river chicken catfisher

Related words

catshark noodling

Derived words

African glass catfish African sharptooth catfish airbreathing catfish airsac catfish banjo catfish blue catfish bumblebee catfish cat catfish effect channel catfish Chao Phraya giant catfish cuckoo catfish Danube catfish driftwood catfish electric catfish flathead catfish ghost catfish holy catfish leopard catfish mailed catfish mudcat naked catfish North American freshwater catfish Pac-Man catfish shark catfish stinging catfish striped catfish Striped Raphael catfish suffering catfish talking catfish thorny catfish three line catfish upside-down catfish walking catfish wels catfish whale catfish widemouth blindcat catfisher Chadfish cockfish wokefish blackfish hatfish maskfish
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