Etymology

piranha

P3I1R1A1N1H4A1

Today it means: Any of certain freshwater fish of the subfamily Serrasalminae, native to South America; they are characterized by razor-sharp teeth and a reputation of being ferocious predators (despite most species being omnivorous). Full definition →

Portuguese piranha ← Spanish piraña ← Old Tupi pirãîa
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The story

  1. Old Tupi · derived frompirãîa
  2. Spanish · derived frompiraña
  3. Portuguese · derived frompiranha
  4. English todaypiranha

First attested in 1869. The term entered English either via Portuguese piranha or Spanish piraña, from Old Tupi pirãîa.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.