Fishes

/ˈfɪʃɪz/ noun

Definition

Plural of fish; aquatic vertebrate animals with scales, fins, and gills that live in water.

Etymology

From Old English 'fisc,' related to Old Norse 'fiskr' and German 'Fisch,' from Proto-Germanic 'fiskaz,' of uncertain ultimate origin.

Kelly Says

The plural of 'fish' is weird because 'fishes' is technically correct but sounds wrong—it's actually used by scientists when discussing different species, while 'fish' works as both singular and plural for the same kind. English got lazy and simplified it, but sometimes the old distinction matters.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.