Meanings
plural ichthyses · alternative ichthus
- A stylized representation of a fish, used as a Christian symbol.
So how could this congregation of crusty kids feel justified in having ichthys tattoos? What would John Lydon think?
2013 March 26, Carly Lewis, “In Brooklyn, a Punk Church Tries to Redefine Religious Faith”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 29 Mar 2013Synonyms: Jesus fish
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA stylized representation of a fish, used as a Christian symbol.
Origin
- Ancient GreekΙΧΘΥΣ“fish”
- Englishichthys
From Ancient Greek ΙΧΘΥΣ (IKHTHUS, “fish”), which also served (repurposed) as an acronym (ΙΧΘΥΣ (IKHTHUS)) for Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ (Iēsoûs Khristós, Theoû Huiós, Sōtḗr, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
ichthys. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ichthys
“ichthys.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ichthys. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ichthys,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ichthys.
Source: ichthys on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.