catfish
noun
cat·​fish
| \ ˈkat-ˌfish
\
\
Definition of catfish
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: any of an order (Siluriformes) of chiefly freshwater stout-bodied scaleless bony fishes having long tactile barbels
2
: a person who sets up a false personal profile on a social networking site for fraudulent or deceptive purposes
catfish
verb
catfished;
catfishing;
catfishes
Definition of catfish (Entry 2 of 2)
1
intransitive
: to fish for catfish
… Bob was catfishing off a floating Ohio River dock near Eight Mile Road east of Cincinnati one early summer evening … — Kentucky Happy Hunting Ground
2
transitive
: to deceive (someone) by creating a false personal profile online
"They never actually met. She was an online thing. They'd been talking for over a year. We were all pretty sure she was catfishing him, but he was convinced she was legit and that they were in love."— R. L. Naquin "Heather" stopped messaging me abruptly several months after we started talking. She was a grown woman, and I never lied about how young I was. Even so, I've never been quite sure which one of us was being catfished.— Vanessa Vitiello Uruhart
— see also catfish entry 1 sense 2
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Examples of catfish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The Big Event will include a shrimp and catfish dinner and will feature the band Modulation. — Elliott Lapin, Houston Chronicle, "Cody Stephens Foundation Big Event to take place on Aug. 17," 5 Aug. 2019 Asian carp are an invasive fish that were introduced to the United States by catfish farmers in the '70s. — Christina Zdanowicz, CNN, "Kentucky is using 'shocking' boats to show just how bad its Asian carp problem is," 31 July 2019 Fiery Hen, Downtown, from the owner of Court Street Lobster Bar, serves Nashville hot chicken at heat levels from mild to incendiary and a good hot catfish sandwich. — Polly Campbell, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati restaurant openings and closings of 2019," 11 July 2019 Long after his only child entered adulthood, Fudge continued to prep his pole for him, tying sinkers and bobbers just so to lure catfish. — Dan Horn, Cincinnati.com, "His Dayton home was hit by a tornado. Then his father died in the Oregon District shooting," 10 Aug. 2019 The catfish and yellow perch fishing is heating up. — D'arcy Egan, cleveland.com, "If you aren’t catching walleye on Lake Erie, you aren’t trying: June 14 Fishing Report," 14 June 2019 The blue catfish, Williams said, was heartier and meatier than catfish she was used to. — Christina Tkacik, Washington Post, "As blue catfish multiply in Chesapeake Bay, watermen pursue new catch," 10 June 2019 The combo is a half slab of baby back ribs blended with an additional meat like pork, smoked chicken, tenders or catfish. — Patrick Z. Mcgavin, Daily Southtown, "Guide to outdoor dining in Chicago suburbs: Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe in Burbank," 9 July 2018 At least one long-time Nessie watcher is convinced the cryptid is actually just an oversized catfish. — Melissa Locker, Time, "There's a Warning for the Thousands Who Signed Up to 'Storm Loch Ness' Because 'Nessie Can't Hide From Us All'," 22 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'catfish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for catfish
catfish
noun
English Language Learners Definition of catfish
: a type of fish that has a large head and long thin parts that look like a cat's whiskers around its mouth
See the full definition for catfish in the English Language Learners Dictionary
catfish
noun
cat·​fish
| \ ˈkat-ˌfish
\
\
Kids Definition of catfish
: a fish with a large head and feelers about the mouth
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