catfish

== English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkætfɪʃ/, [ˈkʰæt̚fɪʃ] === Etymology 1 === From cat +‎ fish. Likely so named for its prominent barbels like a cat's whiskers. Compare West Frisian katfisk (“catfish”), Dutch katvis (“catfish”). Compare also German Seekatze (“catfish”, literally “sea-cat”). ==== Noun ==== catfish (countable and uncountable, plural catfish or catfishes) Any fish of the order Siluriformes, mainly found in fresh water, lacking scales, and having barbels like whiskers around the mouth. Synonyms: (Africa) catlet, sheat, sheatfish, river chicken The meat of such a fish, popular in the Southern U.S. and Central Europe. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== catfish (third-person singular simple present catfishes, present participle catfishing, simple past and past participle catfished) (intransitive) To fish for catfish. ===== Derived terms ===== catfisher ==== See also ==== catshark noodling === Etymology 2 === From the 2010 documentary Catfish, supposedly inspired by the practice of fishermen keeping cod active by storing them with catfish (see sense 1) which nip at their tails. ==== Noun ==== catfish (plural catfish or catfishes) (Internet) Someone who creates a false profile on a social media platform in order to deceive people. Synonym: catfisher (Internet) Such a false profile. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== catfish (third-person singular simple present catfishes, present participle catfishing, simple past and past participle catfished) (Internet, slang, transitive) To create and operate a fake online profile to deceive (someone). For more quotations using this term, see Citations:catfish. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === Further reading === catfish on Wikipedia.Wikipedia catfishing on Wikipedia.Wikipedia === Anagrams === factish