A curved metal hook with a barbed point used to catch fish by piercing their mouth.
From Old English 'fisc' (fish) + 'hoc' (hook). The compound emerged in Middle English as fishing technology became more sophisticated, combining two simple terms for a practical tool.
Fishhooks are one of humanity's oldest technological innovations—archaeologists have found bone fishhooks dating back 20,000 years, making them older than pottery or agriculture. The barb was a genius design that prevents the fish from shaking free, and this same principle is used in modern surgical sutures.
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