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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FISH, n. [L. piscis.]
1. An animal that lives in water. Fish is a general name for a class of animals subsisting in water, which were distributed by Linne into six orders. They breathe by means of gills, swim by the aid of fins, and are oviparous. Some of them have the skeleton bony, and others cartilaginous. Most of the former have the opening of the gills closed by a peculiar covering, called the gill-lid; many of the latter have no gill-lid, and are hence said to breathe through apertures. Cetaceous animals, as the whale and dolphin, are, in popular language, called fishes, and have been so classed by some naturalists; but they breathe by lungs, and are viviparous, like quadrupeds. The term fish has been also extended to other aquatic animals, such as shell-fish, lobsters, etc. We use fish, in the singular, for fishes in general or the whole race.
2. The flesh of fish, used as food. But we usually apply flesh to land animals.
FISH, v.i.
1. To attempt to catch fish; to be employed in taking fish, by any means, as by angling or drawing nets.
2. To attempt or seek to obtain by artifice, or indirectly to seek to draw forth; as, to fish for compliments.
FISH, v.t.
1. To search by raking or sweeping; as, to fish the jakes for papers.
2. In seamanship, to strengthen, as a mast or yard, with a piece of timber.
3. To catch; draw out or up; as, to fish up a human body when sunk; to fish an anchor.
FISH, n.
1. In ships, a machine to hoist and draw up the flukes of an anchor, towards the top of the bow.
2. A long piece of timber, used to strengthen a lower mast or a yard, when sprung or damaged.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills; "the shark is a large fish"; "in the living room there was a tank of colorful fish"
2: the flesh of fish used as food; "in Japan most fish is eaten raw"; "after the scare about foot-and-mouth disease a lot of people started eating fish instead of meat"; "they have a chef who specializes in fish"
3: (astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Pisces [syn: Pisces, Fish]
4: the twelfth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about February 19 to March 20 [syn: Pisces, Pisces the Fishes, Fish] v
1: seek indirectly; "fish for compliments" [syn: fish, angle]
2: catch or try to catch fish or shellfish; "I like to go fishing on weekends"

Merriam Webster's

biographical name Hamilton 1808-1893 American statesman

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural fish or fishes) Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English, from Old English fisc; akin to Old High German fisc fish, Latin piscis Date: before 12th century 1. a. an aquatic animal — usually used in combination <starfish> <cuttlefish> b. any of numerous cold-blooded strictly aquatic craniate vertebrates that include the bony fishes and usually the cartilaginous and jawless fishes and that have typically an elongated somewhat spindle-shaped body terminating in a broad caudal fin, limbs in the form of fins when present at all, and a 2-chambered heart by which blood is sent through thoracic gills to be oxygenated 2. the flesh of fish used as food 3. a. a person who is caught or is wanted (as in a criminal investigation) b. fellow, person <an odd fish> c. sucker 5a 4. something that resembles a fish: as a. plural, capitalized Pisces 1; also Pisces 2a b. torpedo 2b • fishless adjective • fishlike adjective II. verb Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. to attempt to catch fish 2. to seek something by roundabout means <fishing for a compliment> 3. a. to search for something underwater <fish for pearls> b. to engage in a search by groping or feeling <fishing around in her purse for her keys> transitive verb 1. a. to try to catch fish in b. to fish with ; use (as a boat, net, or bait) in fishing 2. a. to go fishing for <fish salmon> b. to pull or draw as if fishing <fished the ball from under the car> <fish wires through a conduit> • fishability noun • fishable adjective

Britannica Concise

Any of various cold-blooded vertebrates found worldwide in freshwater and salt water. Living species range from the primitive lampreys and hagfishes through the cartilaginous sharks, skates, and rays to the abundant and diverse bony fishes. Species range in length from 0.4 in. to more than 60 ft (10 mm-20 m). The body is generally tapered at both ends. Most species that inhabit surface or midwater regions are streamlined or are flattened side to side; most bottom-dwellers are flattened top to bottom. Tropical species are often brightly colored. Most species have paired fins and skin covered with either bony or toothlike scales. Fish generally respire through gills. Most bony fishes have a swim bladder, a gas-filled organ used to adjust swimming depth. Most species lay eggs, which may be fertilized externally or internally. Fishes first appeared more than 450 million years ago.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. (pl. same or fishes) 1 a vertebrate cold-blooded animal with gills and fins living wholly in water. 2 any animal living wholly in water, e.g. cuttlefish, shellfish, jellyfish. 3 the flesh of fish as food. 4 colloq. a person remarkable in some way (usu. unfavourable) (an odd fish). 5 (the Fish or Fishes) the zodiacal sign or constellation Pisces. 6 Naut. sl. a torpedo; a submarine. --v. 1 intr. try to catch fish, esp. with a line or net. 2 tr. fish for (a certain kind of fish) or in (a certain stretch of water). 3 intr. (foll. by for) a search for in water or a concealed place. b seek by indirect means (fishing for compliments). 4 tr. (foll. by up, out, etc.) retrieve with careful or awkward searching. Phrases and idioms: drink like a fish drink excessively. fish-bowl a usu. round glass bowl for keeping pet fish in. fish cake a cake of shredded fish and mashed potato, usu. eaten fried. fish eagle 1 any large eagle of the genus Haliaeetus, with long broad wings, strong legs, and a strong tail. 2 any of several other eagles catching and feeding on fish. fish-eye lens a very wide-angle lens with a curved front. fish farm a place where fish are bred for food. fish finger Brit. a small oblong piece of fish in batter or breadcrumbs. fish-glue isinglass. fish-hawk an osprey, Pandion haliaeetus. fish-hook a barbed hook for catching fish. fish-kettle an oval pan for boiling fish. fish-knife a knife for eating or serving fish. fish-meal ground dried fish used as fertilizer or animal feed. fish out of water a person in an unsuitable or unwelcome environment or situation. fish-pond (or -pool) a pond or pool in which fish are kept. fish-slice a flat utensil for lifting fish and fried foods during and after cooking. other fish to fry other matters to attend to. Etymology: OE fisc, fiscian f. Gmc 2. n. & v. --n. 1 a flat plate of iron, wood, etc., to strengthen a beam or joint. 2 Naut. a piece of wood, convex and concave, used to strengthen a mast etc. --v.tr. 1 mend or strengthen (a spar etc.) with a fish. 2 join (rails) with a fish-plate. Phrases and idioms: fish-bolt a bolt used to fasten fish-plates and rails together. fish-plate a a flat piece of iron etc. connecting railway rails. b a flat piece of metal with ends like a fish's tail, used to position masonry. Derivatives: fishlike adj. Etymology: orig. as verb: f. F ficher fix ult. f. L figere 3. n. a piece of ivory etc. used as a counter in games. Etymology: F fiche (ficher; see FISH(2))

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fish Fish, n. [F. fiche peg, mark, fr. fisher to fix.] A counter, used in various games.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fish Fish, n.; pl. Fishes, or collectively, Fish. [OE. fisch, fisc, fis, AS. fisc; akin to D. visch, OS. & OHG. fisk, G. fisch, Icel. fiskr, Sw. & Dan. fisk, Goth. fisks, L. piscis, Ir. iasg. Cf. Piscatorial. In some cases, such as fish joint, fish plate, this word has prob. been confused with fish, fr. F. fichea peg.] 1. A name loosely applied in popular usage to many animals of diverse characteristics, living in the water. 2. (Zo["o]l.) An oviparous, vertebrate animal usually having fins and a covering scales or plates. It breathes by means of gills, and lives almost entirely in the water. See Pisces. Note: The true fishes include the Teleostei (bony fishes), Ganoidei, Dipnoi, and Elasmobranchii or Selachians (sharks and skates). Formerly the leptocardia and Marsipobranciata were also included, but these are now generally regarded as two distinct classes, below the fishes. 3. pl. The twelfth sign of the zodiac; Pisces. 4. The flesh of fish, used as food. 5. (Naut.) (a) A purchase used to fish the anchor. (b) A piece of timber, somewhat in the form of a fish, used to strengthen a mast or yard. Note: Fish is used adjectively or as part of a compound word; as, fish line, fish pole, fish spear, fish-bellied. Age of Fishes. See under Age, n., 8. Fish ball, fish (usually salted codfish) shared fine, mixed with mashed potato, and made into the form of a small, round cake. [U.S.] Fish bar. Same as Fish plate (below). Fish beam (Mech.), a beam one of whose sides (commonly the under one) swells out like the belly of a fish. --Francis. Fish crow (Zo["o]l.), a species of crow (Corvus ossifragus), found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It feeds largely on fish. Fish culture, the artifical breeding and rearing of fish; pisciculture. Fish davit. See Davit. Fish day, a day on which fish is eaten; a fast day. Fish duck (Zo["o]l.), any species of merganser. Fish fall, the tackle depending from the fish davit, used in hauling up the anchor to the gunwale of a ship. Fish garth, a dam or weir in a river for keeping fish or taking them easily. Fish glue. See Isinglass. Fish joint, a joint formed by a plate or pair of plates fastened upon two meeting beams, plates, etc., at their junction; -- used largely in connecting the rails of railroads. Fish kettle, a long kettle for boiling fish whole. Fish ladder, a dam with a series of steps which fish can leap in order to ascend falls in a river. Fish line, or Fishing line, a line made of twisted hair, silk, etc., used in angling. Fish louse (Zo["o]l.), any crustacean parasitic on fishes, esp. the parasitic Copepoda, belonging to Caligus, Argulus, and other related genera. See Branchiura. Fish maw (Zo["o]l.), the stomach of a fish; also, the air bladder, or sound. Fish meal, fish desiccated and ground fine, for use in soups, etc. Fish oil, oil obtained from the bodies of fish and marine animals, as whales, seals, sharks, from cods' livers, etc. Fish owl (Zo["o]l.), a fish-eating owl of the Old World genera Scotopelia and Ketupa, esp. a large East Indian species (K. Ceylonensis). Fish plate, one of the plates of a fish joint. Fish pot, a wicker basket, sunk, with a float attached, for catching crabs, lobsters, etc. Fish pound, a net attached to stakes, for entrapping and catching fish; a weir. [Local, U.S.] --Bartlett. Fish slice, a broad knife for dividing fish at table; a fish trowel. Fish slide, an inclined box set in a stream at a small fall, or ripple, to catch fish descending the current. --Knight. Fish sound, the air bladder of certain fishes, esp. those that are dried and used as food, or in the arts, as for the preparation of isinglass. Fish story, a story which taxes credulity; an extravagant or incredible narration. [Colloq. U.S.] --Bartlett. Fish strainer. (a) A metal colander, with handles, for taking fish from a boiler. (b) A perforated earthenware slab at the bottom of a dish, to drain the water from a boiled fish. Fish trowel, a fish slice. Fish weir or wear, a weir set in a stream, for catching fish. Neither fish nor flesh (Fig.), neither one thing nor the other.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fish Fish, n.; pl. Fishes, or collectively, Fish. [OE. fisch, fisc, fis, AS. fisc; akin to D. visch, OS. & OHG. fisk, G. fisch, Icel. fiskr, Sw. & Dan. fisk, Goth. fisks, L. piscis, Ir. iasg. Cf. Piscatorial. In some cases, such as fish joint, fish plate, this word has prob. been confused with fish, fr. F. fichea peg.] 1. A name loosely applied in popular usage to many animals of diverse characteristics, living in the water. 2. (Zo["o]l.) An oviparous, vertebrate animal usually having fins and a covering scales or plates. It breathes by means of gills, and lives almost entirely in the water. See Pisces. Note: The true fishes include the Teleostei (bony fishes), Ganoidei, Dipnoi, and Elasmobranchii or Selachians (sharks and skates). Formerly the leptocardia and Marsipobranciata were also included, but these are now generally regarded as two distinct classes, below the fishes. 3. pl. The twelfth sign of the zodiac; Pisces. 4. The flesh of fish, used as food. 5. (Naut.) (a) A purchase used to fish the anchor. (b) A piece of timber, somewhat in the form of a fish, used to strengthen a mast or yard. Note: Fish is used adjectively or as part of a compound word; as, fish line, fish pole, fish spear, fish-bellied. Age of Fishes. See under Age, n., 8. Fish ball, fish (usually salted codfish) shared fine, mixed with mashed potato, and made into the form of a small, round cake. [U.S.] Fish bar. Same as Fish plate (below). Fish beam (Mech.), a beam one of whose sides (commonly the under one) swells out like the belly of a fish. --Francis. Fish crow (Zo["o]l.), a species of crow (Corvus ossifragus), found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It feeds largely on fish. Fish culture, the artifical breeding and rearing of fish; pisciculture. Fish davit. See Davit. Fish day, a day on which fish is eaten; a fast day. Fish duck (Zo["o]l.), any species of merganser. Fish fall, the tackle depending from the fish davit, used in hauling up the anchor to the gunwale of a ship. Fish garth, a dam or weir in a river for keeping fish or taking them easily. Fish glue. See Isinglass. Fish joint, a joint formed by a plate or pair of plates fastened upon two meeting beams, plates, etc., at their junction; -- used largely in connecting the rails of railroads. Fish kettle, a long kettle for boiling fish whole. Fish ladder, a dam with a series of steps which fish can leap in order to ascend falls in a river. Fish line, or Fishing line, a line made of twisted hair, silk, etc., used in angling. Fish louse (Zo["o]l.), any crustacean parasitic on fishes, esp. the parasitic Copepoda, belonging to Caligus, Argulus, and other related genera. See Branchiura. Fish maw (Zo["o]l.), the stomach of a fish; also, the air bladder, or sound. Fish meal, fish desiccated and ground fine, for use in soups, etc. Fish oil, oil obtained from the bodies of fish and marine animals, as whales, seals, sharks, from cods' livers, etc. Fish owl (Zo["o]l.), a fish-eating owl of the Old World genera Scotopelia and Ketupa, esp. a large East Indian species (K. Ceylonensis). Fish plate, one of the plates of a fish joint. Fish pot, a wicker basket, sunk, with a float attached, for catching crabs, lobsters, etc. Fish pound, a net attached to stakes, for entrapping and catching fish; a weir. [Local, U.S.] --Bartlett. Fish slice, a broad knife for dividing fish at table; a fish trowel. Fish slide, an inclined box set in a stream at a small fall, or ripple, to catch fish descending the current. --Knight. Fish sound, the air bladder of certain fishes, esp. those that are dried and used as food, or in the arts, as for the preparation of isinglass. Fish story, a story which taxes credulity; an extravagant or incredible narration. [Colloq. U.S.] --Bartlett. Fish strainer. (a) A metal colander, with handles, for taking fish from a boiler. (b) A perforated earthenware slab at the bottom of a dish, to drain the water from a boiled fish. Fish trowel, a fish slice. Fish weir or wear, a weir set in a stream, for catching fish. Neither fish nor flesh (Fig.), neither one thing nor the other.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fish Fish, n.; pl. Fishes, or collectively, Fish. [OE. fisch, fisc, fis, AS. fisc; akin to D. visch, OS. & OHG. fisk, G. fisch, Icel. fiskr, Sw. & Dan. fisk, Goth. fisks, L. piscis, Ir. iasg. Cf. Piscatorial. In some cases, such as fish joint, fish plate, this word has prob. been confused with fish, fr. F. fichea peg.] 1. A name loosely applied in popular usage to many animals of diverse characteristics, living in the water. 2. (Zo["o]l.) An oviparous, vertebrate animal usually having fins and a covering scales or plates. It breathes by means of gills, and lives almost entirely in the water. See Pisces. Note: The true fishes include the Teleostei (bony fishes), Ganoidei, Dipnoi, and Elasmobranchii or Selachians (sharks and skates). Formerly the leptocardia and Marsipobranciata were also included, but these are now generally regarded as two distinct classes, below the fishes. 3. pl. The twelfth sign of the zodiac; Pisces. 4. The flesh of fish, used as food. 5. (Naut.) (a) A purchase used to fish the anchor. (b) A piece of timber, somewhat in the form of a fish, used to strengthen a mast or yard. Note: Fish is used adjectively or as part of a compound word; as, fish line, fish pole, fish spear, fish-bellied. Age of Fishes. See under Age, n., 8. Fish ball, fish (usually salted codfish) shared fine, mixed with mashed potato, and made into the form of a small, round cake. [U.S.] Fish bar. Same as Fish plate (below). Fish beam (Mech.), a beam one of whose sides (commonly the under one) swells out like the belly of a fish. --Francis. Fish crow (Zo["o]l.), a species of crow (Corvus ossifragus), found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It feeds largely on fish. Fish culture, the artifical breeding and rearing of fish; pisciculture. Fish davit. See Davit. Fish day, a day on which fish is eaten; a fast day. Fish duck (Zo["o]l.), any species of merganser. Fish fall, the tackle depending from the fish davit, used in hauling up the anchor to the gunwale of a ship. Fish garth, a dam or weir in a river for keeping fish or taking them easily. Fish glue. See Isinglass. Fish joint, a joint formed by a plate or pair of plates fastened upon two meeting beams, plates, etc., at their junction; -- used largely in connecting the rails of railroads. Fish kettle, a long kettle for boiling fish whole. Fish ladder, a dam with a series of steps which fish can leap in order to ascend falls in a river. Fish line, or Fishing line, a line made of twisted hair, silk, etc., used in angling. Fish louse (Zo["o]l.), any crustacean parasitic on fishes, esp. the parasitic Copepoda, belonging to Caligus, Argulus, and other related genera. See Branchiura. Fish maw (Zo["o]l.), the stomach of a fish; also, the air bladder, or sound. Fish meal, fish desiccated and ground fine, for use in soups, etc. Fish oil, oil obtained from the bodies of fish and marine animals, as whales, seals, sharks, from cods' livers, etc. Fish owl (Zo["o]l.), a fish-eating owl of the Old World genera Scotopelia and Ketupa, esp. a large East Indian species (K. Ceylonensis). Fish plate, one of the plates of a fish joint. Fish pot, a wicker basket, sunk, with a float attached, for catching crabs, lobsters, etc. Fish pound, a net attached to stakes, for entrapping and catching fish; a weir. [Local, U.S.] --Bartlett. Fish slice, a broad knife for dividing fish at table; a fish trowel. Fish slide, an inclined box set in a stream at a small fall, or ripple, to catch fish descending the current. --Knight. Fish sound, the air bladder of certain fishes, esp. those that are dried and used as food, or in the arts, as for the preparation of isinglass. Fish story, a story which taxes credulity; an extravagant or incredible narration. [Colloq. U.S.] --Bartlett. Fish strainer. (a) A metal colander, with handles, for taking fish from a boiler. (b) A perforated earthenware slab at the bottom of a dish, to drain the water from a boiled fish. Fish trowel, a fish slice. Fish weir or wear, a weir set in a stream, for catching fish. Neither fish nor flesh (Fig.), neither one thing nor the other.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fish Fish, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fished; p. pr. & vb. n. Fishing.] 1. To attempt to catch fish; to be employed in taking fish, by any means, as by angling or drawing a net. 2. To seek to obtain by artifice, or indirectly to seek to draw forth; as, to fish for compliments. Any other fishing question. --Sir W. Scott.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Fish Fish, v. t. [OE. fischen, fisken, fissen, AS. fiscian; akin to G. fischen, OHG. fisc?n, Goth. fisk?n. See Fish the animal.] 1. To catch; to draw out or up; as, to fish up an anchor. 2. To search by raking or sweeping. --Swift. 3. To try with a fishing rod; to catch fish in; as, to fish a stream. --Thackeray. 4. To strengthen (a beam, mast, etc.), or unite end to end (two timbers, railroad rails, etc.) by bolting a plank, timber, or plate to the beam, mast, or timbers, lengthwise on one or both sides. See Fish joint, under Fish, n. To fish the anchor. (Naut.) See under Anchor.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(fish, or fishes, fishes, fishing, fished) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. Note: The form 'fish' is usually used for the plural, but 'fishes' can also be used. 1. A fish is a creature that lives in water and has a tail and fins. There are many different kinds of fish. I was chatting to an islander who had just caught a fish... The fish were counted and an average weight recorded. N-COUNT 2. Fish is the flesh of a fish eaten as food. Does dry white wine go best with fish? 3. If you fish, you try to catch fish, either for food or as a form of sport or recreation. Brian remembers learning to fish in the River Cam. VERB: V 4. If you fish a particular area of water, you try to catch fish in it. On Saturday we fished the River Arno. VERB: V n 5. If you say that someone is fishing for information or praise, you disapprove of the fact that they are trying to get it from someone in an indirect way. He didn't want to create the impression that he was fishing for information... 'Lucinda, you don't have to talk to him!' Mike shouted. 'He's just fishing.' = angle VERB: V for n, V [disapproval] 6. see also fishing 7. If you tell someone that there are plenty more fish in the sea, you are comforting them by saying that although their relationship with someone has failed, there are many other people they can have relationships with. (INFORMAL) PHRASE

Easton's Bible Dictionary

called _dag_ by the Hebrews, a word denoting great fecundity (Gen. 9:2; Num. 11:22; Jonah 2:1, 10). No fish is mentioned by name either in the Old or in the New Testament. Fish abounded in the Mediterranean and in the lakes of the Jordan, so that the Hebrews were no doubt acquainted with many species. Two of the villages on the shores of the Sea of Galilee derived their names from their fisheries, Bethsaida (the "house of fish") on the east and on the west. There is probably no other sheet of water in the world of equal dimensions that contains such a variety and profusion of fish. About thirty-seven different kinds have been found. Some of the fishes are of a European type, such as the roach, the barbel, and the blenny; others are markedly African and tropical, such as the eel-like silurus. There was a regular fish-market apparently in Jerusalem (2 Chr. 33:14; Neh. 3:3; 12:39; Zeph. 1:10), as there was a fish-gate which was probably contiguous to it.

Sidon is the oldest fishing establishment known in history.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

(dagh, daghah, da'gh; ichthus, ichthudion, opsarion):

1. Natural History:

Fishes abound in the inland waters of Palestine as well as the Mediterranean. They are often mentioned or indirectly referred to both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, but it is remarkable that no particular kind is distinguished by name. In Le 11:9-12 and De 14:9 f, "whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters" is declared clean, while all that "have not fins and scales" are forbidden. This excluded not only reptiles and amphibians, but also, among fishes, siluroids and eels, sharks, rays and lampreys. For our knowledge of the inland fishes of Palestine we are mainly indebted to Tristram, NHB and Fauna and Flora of Palestine; Lortet, Poissons et reptiles du Lac de Tiberiade; and Russegger, Reisen in Europa, Asien, Afrika, 1835- 1841. The most remarkable feature of the fish fauna of the Jordan valley is its relationship to that of the Nile and of East Central Africa. Two Nile fishes, Chromis nilotica Hasselquist, and Clarias macracanthus Gunth., are found in the Jordan valley, and a number of other species found only in the Jordan valley belong to genera (Chromis and Hemichromis) which are otherwise exclusively African. This seems to indicate that at some time, probably in the early Tertiary, there was some connection between the Palestinian and African river systems. No fish can live in the Dead Sea, and many perish through being carried down by the swift currents of the Jordan and other streams. There are, however, several kinds of small fish which live in salt springs on the borders of the Dead Sea, springs which are as salt as the Dead Sea but which, according to Lortet, lack the magnesium chloride which is a constituent of the Dead Sea water and is fatal to the fish. Capoeta damascina Cuv. and Val., one of the commonest fishes of Syria and Palestine, has been taken by the writer in large numbers in the Arnon and other streams flowing into

the Dead Sea. This is surprising in view of the fact that the Dead Sea seems to form an effective barrier between the fishes of the different streams flowing into it. The indiscriminate mention of fishes without reference to the different kinds is well illustrated by the numerous passages in which "the fishes of the sea, the birds of the heavens, and the beasts of the field," or some equivalent expression, is used to denote all living creatures, e.g. Ge 1:26; 9:2; Nu 11:22; De 4:18; 1Ki 4:33; Job 12:8; Ps 8:8; Eze 38:20; Ho 4:3; Ze 1:3; 1Co 15:39.

2. Jonah's Fish:

An unusually large shark might fulfill the conditions of Jonah's fish (dagh, daghah; but Mt 12:40, ketos, "whale" or "sea monster"). The whale that is found in the Mediterranean (Balaena australis) has a narrow throat and could not swallow a man. No natural explanation is possible of Jonah's remaining alive and conscious for three days in the creature's belly. Those who consider the book historical must regard the whole event as miraculous. For those who consider it to be a story with a purpose, no explanation is required.

3. Fishing:

The present inhabitants of Moab and Edom make no use of the fish that swarm in the Arnon, the Hisa and other streams, but fishing is an important industry in Galilee and Western Palestine. Now, as formerly, spear hooks and nets are employed. The fish-spear (Job 41:7) is little used. Most of the Old Testament references to nets have to do with the taking of birds and beasts and not of fishes, and, while in Hab 1:15 cherem is rendered "net" and mikhmereth "drag," it is hot clear that these and the other words rendered "net" refer to particular kinds of nets. In the New Testament, however, sagene (Mt 13:47), is clearly the dragnet, and amphiblestron (Mt 4:18), is clearly the casting net. The word most often used is diktuon. Though this word is from dikein, "to throw," or "to cast," the context in several places (e.g. Lu 5:4; Joh 21:11) suggests that a dragnet is meant. The dragnet may be several hundred feet long. The upper edge is buoyed and the lower edge is weighted. It is let down from a boat in a line parallel to the shore and is then pulled in by ropes attached to the two ends, several men and boys usually pulling at each end. The use of the casting net requires much skill. It forms a circle of from 10 to 20 feet in diameter with numerous small leaden weights at the circumference. It is lifted by the center and carefully gathered over the right arm. When well thrown it goes to some distance, at the same time spreading out into a wide circle. A cord may be attached to the center, but this is not always the case. When lifted again by the center, the leads come together, dragging over the bottom, and sometimes a large number of fish may be enclosed. The novice has only to try, to realize the dexterity of the practiced fishermen.

Figurative: The fact that so many of our Lord's disciples were fishermen lends a profound interest to their profession. Christ tells Simon and Andrew (Mt 4:19; Mr 1:17) that He will make them fishers of men. The Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 13:47) is likened unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind; which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away. Tristram (NHB) says that he has seen the fishermen go through their net and throw out into the sea those that were too small for the market or were considered unclean. In Jer 16:16, we read: "Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith Yahweh, and they shall fish them up; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks." In the vision of Ezekiel (Eze 47:9 f), the multitude of fish and the nets spread from En-gedi to En-eglaim are marks of the marvelous change wrought in the Dead Sea by the stream issuing from the temple. The same sign, i.e. of the spreading of nets (Eze 26:5,14), marks the desolation of Tyre. It is a piece of broiled fish that the risen Lord eats with the Eleven in Jerusalem (Lu 24:42), and by the Sea of Galilee (Joh 21:13) He gives the disciples bread and fish.

Alfred Ely Day

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Angle, bob, try to catch fish. 2. [With for.] Angle, seek by indirection, endeavor to call out, hint after, seek by artifice. II. v. a. 1. Angle, try to take in. 2. Grapple, catch, draw up. 3. Rake, drag, search by dragging or raking. 4. Splice, mend or strengthen with a splint.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A seaman. A scaly fish; a rough, blunt tar. To have other fish to fry; to have other matters to mind, something else to do.

Moby Thesaurus

C, C-note, Chinook salmon, G, G-note, Loch Ness monster, Sunapee trout, aerial torpedo, albacore, alevin, alewife, alligator gar, amber jack, anchovy, angel fish, angle, anguille, archerfish, argusfish, babe, bait the hook, bangalore torpedo, barbel, barn door skate, barracuda, basking shark, bass, benthon, benthos, bill, black bass, black sea bass, blackfish, bleak, blind fish, blue fish, blue shark, bluegill, bob, bone, bonito, boob, bowfin, bream, brook trout, brown trout, buck, buffalo fish, bullhead, burbot, butt, butterfish, candlefish, capelin, carp, cartwheel, catfish, caviar, cent, century, cetacean, channel bass, char, chimaera, chub, chump, cichlid, cinch, cisco, clam, cobia, cod, codfish, coelacanth, conger, conger eel, copper, crappie, credulous person, croaker, cull, cutlass fish, cutthroat trout, dace, dap, darter, devilfish, dib, dibble, dime, doctor fish, dogfish, dollar, dollar bill, dolphin, dorado, dragon fish, drive, drum, drumfish, dupe, easy mark, easy pickings, eel, eelpout, electric ray, fall guy, fifty cents, filefish, fin, fingerling, fish, fish eggs, five cents, five hundred dollars, five-dollar bill, five-hundred-dollar bill, five-spot, fiver, flame tetra, flounder, fluke, fly-fish, fool, four bits, frogskin, fry, game fish, gar, gig, globefish, go fishing, goatfish, gobe-mouches, goby, goldfish, grand, greener, greenhorn, greeny, grig, grilse, grouper, grunt, guddle, gudgeon, gull, gunnel, haddock, hake, half G, half a C, half dollar, half grand, halibut, herring, hippocampus, hogfish, homing torpedo, horse mackerel, hundred-dollar bill, innocent, iron man, jack, jacklight, jewfish, jig, kingfish, kipper, kippered salmon, lake trout, lamprey, lantern fish, leadpipe cinch, ling, loach, lung fish, mackerel, mako shark, man-eater, man-eating shark, manta, marine animal, marlin, menhaden, mill, minnow, minny, monkey, moray eel, mudfish, muskellunge, nekton, net, nickel, oquassa, paddlefish, panfish, papagallo, patsy, penny, perch, permit, pickerel, pigeon, pike, pike perch, pilchard, pilot fish, piranha, plaice, plankton, plaything, poisson, pollack, pompano, porbeagle, porgy, porpoise, prize sap, puffer, pushover, quarter, rainbow trout, ray, red cent, red herring, redfin, redfish, roach, rocket torpedo, roe, roosterfish, salmon, salmon trout, sap, saphead, sardine, sawbuck, sawfish, schlemiel, scup, sea bass, sea horse, sea monster, sea pig, sea serpent, sea snake, seafood, seine, sergeant fish, shark, shiner, shrimp, silver dollar, sitting duck, skate, skin, smacker, smelt, smoked herring, smolt, snapper, snook, sole, spar torpedo, speckled trout, spin, sponge, sprat, steelhead, stickleback, still-fish, stooge, striped bass, sturgeon, submarine torpedo, sucker, sunfish, swordfish, tarpon, ten cents, ten-spot, tenner, thornback ray, thousand dollars, thousand-dollar bill, thresher, toadfish, tope, torch, torpedo fish, toy, trawl, triggerfish, troll, tropical fish, trout, trusting soul, tuna, tunny, turbot, twenty-dollar bill, twenty-five cents, two bits, two-dollar bill, two-spot, veiltail, victim, wahoo, walleye, walleyed pike, weakfish, whale, whitefish, whiting, yard, yellowtail