shark

plural sharks · alternative obsolete sharke

1. countablebiologyAny predatory fish of the superorder Selachimorpha, with a cartilaginous skeleton and 5 to 7 gill slits on each side of its head.

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   The straunge fishe is in length xvij. foote and iij. foote broad, and in compas about the bodie vj. foote; and is round snowted, short headdid, hauing iij. rankes of teeth on either iawe, …. Also it hath v. gills of eache side of the head, shoing white. Ther is no proper name for it that I know, but that sertayne men of Captayne Haukinses doth call it a sharke.

   1569, The true discripcion of this marueilous straunge Fishe, whiche was taken on Thursday was sennight, the xvi. day of June, this present month, in the yeare of our Lord God, M.D.lxix., a broadside printed in London, the second earliest known use of the term; reprinted in A Collection of Seventy-Nine Black-Letter Ballads and Broadsides: printed in the reigh of Queen Elizabeth, between the years 1559 and 1597 in 1867

   He said he had spoken to a woman who was kayaking off Catalina Island, California, in 2008 when a shark slammed her kayak from underneath and sent her flying into the air. She then landed on the back of the shark, Collier said. "At that point the shark started to swim out to sea, so she jumped off its back," Collier said.

   2011 October 13, AP, “Man 'surfs' great white shark”, in The Guardian

2. uncountableMeat of this animal, consumed as food.

   Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish due to their high levels of mercury.

   2013, Jill J. Grover, Ecological Food for Thought on Seafood, West Conshohocken, PA: Infinity Publishing, →ISBN, page 26

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   Shark has traditionally, although in some secrecy, been a staple food in European, American and Australian food.

   1987, John D.Stevens, editor, Sharks, New York, NY: Facts on File, →ISBN, page 195

   In the past, people did not like to eat shark because they thought sharks ate the bodies of dead sailors.

   1992, Miranda MacQuitty, Shark, First American edition, New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 61

3. broadlycountableuncountablebiologyAny fish of the class Chondrichthyes, especially an extinct shark-like holocephalian.

   Cladoselache, a well-preserved Devonian shark fossil from Ohio. Here the cartilages and some muscle tissues are preserved intact

   2024, John Long, The Secret History of Sharks: The Rise of the Ocean's Most Fearsome Predators, New York: Ballantine Books, page 17

4. A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.
   1. countableuncountableAny fish in the genus Epalzeorhynchos.
   2. countableuncountableAny fish in the genus Balantiocheilos.
   3. countableuncountableAn iridescent shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus).
   4. countableuncountableA roseline shark (Dawkinsia denisonii).
   5. countableuncountableA paroon shark (Pangasius sanitwongsei).
5. countableA noctuid moth of species Cucullia umbratica.
6. UKcountableuniversity slangA university student who is not a fresher that has engaged in sexual activity with a fresher; usually habitually and with multiple people.

present singular third person sharks · participle present sharking · participle past sharked · past sharked

1. intransitiverareTo fish for sharks.
2. Of a university student who is not a fresher (first-year undergraduate), and especially towards the start of the academic year:
   1. UKderogatorymildlytransitiveuniversity slangTo engage in sexual activity with a fresher.
   2. UKderogatoryintransitivemildlyuniversity slangTo cruise for casual sex with a fresher at a bar or club.

plural sharks

1. Someone who exploits others, for example by trickery, lies, usury, extortion.

   “[…] Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing. Oh, dear, there's so much to tell you, so many warnings to give you, but all that must be postponed for the moment.”

   1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 85

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   “Look after her, Mr. Hastings. My poor Emily. They’re a lot of sharks—all of them. Oh, I know what I’m talking about. There isn’t one of them that’s not hard up and trying to get money out of her. I’ve protected her as much as I could. Now I’m out of the way, they’ll impose upon her.”

   1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 15

2. derogatoryinformalA sleazy and amoral lawyer.
3. derogatoryinformalAn ambulance chaser.
4. informalA relentless and resolute person or group, especially in business.

   To the extent that shares of this company are traded in the stock exchange, and share prices are based on fundamentals and not on the speculative whims and fancies of irrational money sharks, its value on the stock market should equal V(0) in real terms, of P(0)V(0) in nominal terms.

   2017, Ben J. Heijdra, Foundations of Modern Macroeconomics, 3rd edition, →ISBN, page 110

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   In the event they lacked a proper midfield bolt, with Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira huffing around in pursuit of the whizzing green machine. The centre-backs looked flustered, left to deal with three on two as Mexico broke. Löw’s 4-2-3-1 seemed antiquated and creaky, with the old World Cup shark Thomas Müller flat-footed in a wide position.

   2018 June 17, Barney Ronay, “Mexico’s Hirving Lozano stuns world champions Germany for brilliant win”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Aug 2019

5. A person that excels in a particular field.
   1. informalproscribedA very good poker or pool player. Compare fish (a bad poker player).
6. gamesA person who feigns ineptitude to win money from others.

   Synonyms: hustler

present singular third person sharks · participle present sharking · participle past sharked · past sharked

1. obsoleteTo steal or obtain through fraud.

   Shakespeare and others, Sir Thomas More (c. 1593) act 2, sc. 4: "Other ruffians...Would shark on you."

2. intransitiveobsoleteTo play the petty thief; to practice fraud or trickery; to swindle.

   Neither sharks for a cup or a reckoning.

   1628, John Earle, Microcosmography

3. intransitiveobsoleteTo live by shifts and stratagems.

   Ah Captaine, lay not all the fault upon Officers you know you can ſhark though you be out of action, witneſſe Montague.

   1612–1613, Nathan Field, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Honest Mans Fortune”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act III, scene i, pages 161–162

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   But a good man ſhall be ſatisfied from himſelf] For he hath a ſpring vvithin his ovvn breaſt, he needs not ſharke abroad: he hath an autarkie, a ſelf-ſufficiency, 1 Tim[othy] 6.6.

   1650, John Trapp, “A Commentary or Exposition upon the Proverbs of Solomon. [Chapter XIV.]”, in Solomonis Πανάρετος: Or, A Commentarie upon the Books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. […], London: […] T[homas] R[atcliffe] and E[dward] M[ottershead] for John Bellamie, […], →OCLC, page 147

present singular third person sharks · participle present sharking · participle past sharked · past sharked

1. obsoleteTo pick or gather indiscriminately or covertly.

   Fortenbraſſe […] Hath […] Sharkt vp a ſight of lawleſſe Reſolutes […]

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]