HomeServicesBlogDictionariesContactSpanish Course
← Back to search

Meaning of shark | Babel Free

Noun CEFR B2 Frequent
ʃɑːk

Definitions

  1. Any predatory fish of the superorder Selachimorpha, with a cartilaginous skeleton and 5 to 7 gill slits on each side of its head.
    countable
  2. Someone who exploits others, for example by trickery, lies, usury, extortion.
  3. Flesh of this animal, consumed as food.
    uncountable
  4. raider, share raider
  5. A sleazy and amoral lawyer.
    derogatory, informal
  6. Any fish of the class Chondrichthyes, especially an extinct shark-like holocephalian.
    broadly, countable, uncountable
  7. An ambulance chaser.
    derogatory, informal
  8. A freshwater fish that resembles a true shark (Selachimorpha) in appearance or movement; a freshwater shark.
    countable, uncountable
  9. Any fish in the genus Epalzeorhynchos.
    countable, uncountable
  10. A relentless and resolute person or group, especially in business.
    informal
  11. Any fish in the genus Balantiocheilos.
    countable, uncountable
  12. A person that excels in a particular field.
  13. An iridescent shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus).
    countable, uncountable
  14. A very good poker or pool player. Compare fish (a bad poker player).
    informal
  15. A roseline shark (Dawkinsia denisonii).
    countable, uncountable
  16. A person who feigns ineptitude to win money from others.
  17. A paroon shark (Pangasius sanitwongsei).
    countable, uncountable
  18. A noctuid moth of species Cucullia umbratica.
    countable
  19. A university student who is not a fresher that has engaged in sexual activity with a fresher; usually habitually and with multiple people.
    UK, countable

Equivalents

العربية سمك القرش
Bosanski čapa
Čeština šejdíř
Cymraeg twyllwr
Español tiburón
Français requin
Hrvatski čapa
Magyar cápa hiéna
Kurdî çapa
Polski rekin
Српски čapa

Examples

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

CEFR level

B2
Upper Intermediate
This word is part of the CEFR B2 vocabulary — upper intermediate level.
See all B2 English words →

See also

Learn this word in context

See shark used in real conversations inside our free language course.

Start Free Course

Know this word better than we do? Language is a living thing — help us keep it growing. Collaborate with Babel Free