Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A large marine food and game fish (Xiphias gladius) having a long swordlike extension of the upper jaw that is used chiefly as a means of defense and attack.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A common name of various fishes. Originally, Xiphias gladius, the common sword fish of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, having the upper jaw elongated into a sharp sword-like weapon (whence the name); hence, any xiphioid fish; any member of the Xiphiidæ. The common sword fish resembles and is related to the sailfish and spearfish (compare cuts under these words). It measures from 10 to 15 feet in length, the sword forming about three tenths of this length, and acquires a weight of from 300 to 400 pounds; it has a single long elevated dorsal fin, but no ventral fins. The sword-fish attacks other fishes with its jaw, and it sometimes perforates the planks of ships with the same powerful weapon. The fiesh is very palatable and nutritious.
- n. [capitalized] In astronomy, a southern constellation, Dorado.
Wiktionary
- n. A large marine fish with a long, pointed bill, Xiphias gladius.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A very large oceanic fish (Xiphias gladius), the only representative of the family
Xiphiidæ . It is highly valued as a food fish. The bones of the upper jaw are consolidated, and form a long, rigid, swordlike beak; the dorsal fin is high and without distinct spines; the ventral fins are absent. The adult is destitute of teeth. It becomes sixteen feet or more long. - n. The gar pike.
- n. The cutlass fish.
- n. A southern constellation. See Dorado, 1.
WordNet 3.0
- n. large toothless marine food fish with a long swordlike upper jaw; not completely cold-blooded i.e. they are able to warm their brains and eyes: worldwide in warm waters but feed on cold ocean floor coming to surface at night
- n. flesh of swordfish usually served as steaks
Examples
“But the swordfish is the only one found in the seas, Making his home off the Florida Keys.”
“I would love to learn to big game fishTo catch a swordfish is my wishThe knowledge I findI would pass to the little boy of mineSo that we both be memory rich”
“Seems chasing the swordfish is the right thing to do.”
“You SHOULD know that swordfish is one of the fish you SHOULD institute a self-imposed boycott.”
Think Progress » Drilling Is Not The Solution To Create Jobs And Reduce Reliance On Foreign Oil
“Tell me when your swordfish is swimming upon the Grand Banks and until the show somw data from the plehtora of fisheries data that shows but a single incidence of this sort of documented movement by a single individual and you will become a legend.”
Think Progress » Drilling Is Not The Solution To Create Jobs And Reduce Reliance On Foreign Oil
“Except, of course, that the swordfish is not in the list of endangered species.”
Think Progress » Drilling Is Not The Solution To Create Jobs And Reduce Reliance On Foreign Oil
“We had been watching this creature for three days or so, reeling in swordfish heads.”
“In summary, we report that the allele distribution of the ldh-A gene in Pacific swordfish is homogeneous among temporal samples within-regions but that significant differences exist among pooled regional samples from the NCPO (Hawaii-multiple years), the north-eastern Pacific Ocean (NEPO: Mexico and Ecuador-multiple years), the south-eastern Pacific Ocean (SEPO: off Chile), and the SWP O (Australia).”
Think Progress » Kansas Attorney General Refuses To Sue Federal Government Over Health Care Reform
“Islamorada for swordfish is the bomb "They" all say so with extreme aplombWin in this poetic wayThus become one of theyI most assuredly will write home to mom.”
“Did you think you could swordfish from a hot air balloon?”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘swordfish’.
-
Recently viewed
A random list of things people are looking up on Wordnik.
craftsperson, bobble-head, kiwi and emu brot..., st. isidore the f..., cloudlessness, sangwidges, omnes Una Manet nox, Chappie, Inca dove, ew, C'mere, skepticism and 966 more...
-
animals (2 syllable)
A list of common animal names. Keep the list to 2 syllable words.No scientific names. No proper names like 'Fluffy' the elephant.Insects and other creatures (even ficticious like 'dragon') are we...
baboon, rabbit, raptor, dragon, camel, hornet, llama, cobra, cheetah, penguin, puppy, dolphin and 85 more...
chained_bear "Grand Banks swordfish spawn in the Caribbean and then edge northward during the summer months, heading for the cold, protein-rich waters off Newfoundland."
Additional info on menhaden.
"Although all manner of fish feed on larval swordfish, only mako, sperm whale, and killer whale attack them when they're fully grown. Mature swordfish are considered to be one of the most dangerous game fish in the world and have been known to fight nonstop for three or four hours. They have sunk small boats in their struggles."
—Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm, 1997 (NY: HarperCollins, 1999), 51 Aug 17, 2009