arowana
noun
aro·wa·na
| \ ˌa-rə-ˈwä-nə
, ˌer-ə-\
, ˌer-ə-\
variants:
or less commonly aruana
or arawana
or arahuana
Definition of arowana
: any of several large, tropical, chiefly carnivorous freshwater fish (family Osteoglossidae and especially genera Osteoglossum and Scleropages) of South America, southeastern Asia, Australia, and Africa that have large bony scales, a toothed tongue, and a large mouth with an oblique gape
Note: Arowanas have a laterally compressed body and are typically silvery white, gold, red, or green. In the wild, some arowanas may reach a length of four feet (1.2 meters) or longer but are usually smaller when kept as aquarium fish.
— called also bonytongue, dragonfish
— compare pirarucuExamples of arowana in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After the ban, a booming black market for arowana emerged. — Amy Qin, New York Times, "Cosmetic Surgery for a Pet Fish? In Asia, This One Is King of the Tank," 27 Mar. 2018 Though there are now legal methods of breeding and trading, arowana have still been sold for up to $300,000. — Lilian Min, The Cut, "Even Giant Fish Can’t Ignore the Siren Song of Plastic Surgery," 28 Mar. 2018 The overwhelming demand had a devastating effect on the wild population of arowana. — Amy Qin, New York Times, "Cosmetic Surgery for a Pet Fish? In Asia, This One Is King of the Tank," 27 Mar. 2018 Asian arowana fish can grow up to three feet long, but these aquarium giants, seen as a status symbol in many East Asian cultures, aren’t exempt from the beauty standards that rule us all. — Lilian Min, The Cut, "Even Giant Fish Can’t Ignore the Siren Song of Plastic Surgery," 28 Mar. 2018 But the Asian arowana is not your average pet store fish. — Amy Qin, New York Times, "Cosmetic Surgery for a Pet Fish? In Asia, This One Is King of the Tank," 27 Mar. 2018 The Asian arowana is the world’s most expensive aquarium fish. — National Geographic, "Meet the World's Most Expensive Pet Fish," 17 July 2016These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arowana.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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