shark

English Online Dictionary. What means shark‎? What does shark mean?

English

Wikispecies

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ʃɑːk/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ʃɑɹk/
• Homophone: shock (non-rhotic, father-bother merger)
• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)k

Etymology 1

From Middle English shark (used by Thomas Beckington in 1442 to refer to a kind of fish), of uncertain origin. Most likely from a semantic extension of the German-derived shark (“scoundrel”), see below. The fish was originally called a dogfish or haye in English and Middle English.

Noun

shark (plural sharks)

2. (ichthyology) A scaleless, predatory fish of the superorder Selachimorpha, with a cartilaginous skeleton and 5 to 7 gill slits on each side of its head.
   • 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:

     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.
3. The noctuid moth Cucullia umbratica.
4. (UK, university slang) A university student who is not a fresher that has engaged in sexual activity with a fresher; usually habitually and with multiple people.

Alternative forms

• sharke (obsolete)

Synonyms

• (scaleless cartilaginous fish): haye (obsolete)

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

shark (third-person singular simple present sharks, present participle sharking, simple past and past participle sharked)

1. (rare) To fish for sharks.
2. (UK, university slang) Of a university student who is not a fresher, to engage in sexual activity with a fresher, or to be at a bar or club with the general intention of engaging in such activity.

See also

Etymology 2

From German Schurke (“scoundrel”); compare Dutch schurk.

Noun

shark (plural sharks)

1. Someone who exploits others, for example by trickery, lies, usury, extortion.
2. (informal, derogatory) A sleazy and amoral lawyer.
3. (informal, derogatory) An ambulance chaser.
4. (informal) A relentless and resolute person or group, especially in business.
5. (informal) A very good poker or pool player. Compare fish (a bad poker player).
6. (sports and games) A person who feigns ineptitude to win money from others.

Usage notes

• The use of the term by people unfamiliar with pool is rarely well perceived by experienced players.

Synonyms

• (player who feigns ineptitude to win money): hustler

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

shark (third-person singular simple present sharks, present participle sharking, simple past and past participle sharked)

1. (obsolete) To steal or obtain through fraud.
2. (obsolete, intransitive) To play the petty thief; to practice fraud or trickery; to swindle.
3. (obsolete, intransitive) To live by shifts and stratagems.

Derived terms

• shirk

Etymology 3

Probably from the "steal" senses above, but perhaps related to shear. Compare shirk.

Verb

shark (third-person singular simple present sharks, present participle sharking, simple past and past participle sharked)

1. (obsolete) To pick or gather indiscriminately or covertly.

References

Further reading

• “shark”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “shark”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• harks, HKSAR, Kahrs

Albanian

Etymology 1

From Proto-Slavic *sorka (“shirt”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃaɾk/

Noun

shark m (definite sharku)

1. shepherd's vest

Related terms

• sharkë

Etymology 2

From Ancient Greek σάρξ (sárx).

Noun

shark m (definite sharku)

1. shell (of certain fruits like nuts, hazel, chestnut etc)
2. skin (that covers the seed of certain fruits like peach, grape, prunes etc)
3. snake skin

References

Middle English

Etymology

Of uncertain origin; see English shark.

Noun

shark

1. (hapax) shark

Descendants

• English: shark

References

• “shark, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.