piranha
noun
pi·ra·nha
| \ pə-ˈrä-nə
; -ˈrän-yə, -ˈran-
\
; -ˈrän-yə, -ˈran-
\
plural piranhas
or piranha
Definition of piranha
: any of various usually small South American characin fishes (genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus) that have very sharp teeth, often appear in schools, and include some that may attack and inflict dangerous wounds upon humans and large animals
— called also caribe
Examples of piranha in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Life Of Pi (2012) Most films take the terror of being stranded at sea, and create bloody, suspenseful thrillers involving sharks and piranhas. — Elena Nicolaou, refinery29.com, "These Terrifying Movies Will Ruin Your Beach Vacation," 15 June 2019 Even if Jeff is a jerk, a user, a creepy piranha trolling for a sugar mama, your sister is now an adult — an adult who is finally experiencing the exhilarating and sometimes blinding early days of first love. — Author: Wayne And Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, "How can I stop my brilliant, naive sister from getting taken in by the sleazy guy who swept her off her feet?," 8 June 2019 Not to be missed: the large aviary filled with tropical birds and a fish tank stocked with a red piranha in the waiting area. WHERE TO STAY Trinity Hotel, 201 S. Canal St., Carlsbad, N.M.; (575) 234-9891. — Anne Harnagel, latimes.com, "Searching for Billy the Kid and UFOs in southeastern New Mexico," 18 May 2018 Go on a night excursion by foot or canoe, fish for piranha, and stay in one of eleven tree houses, built into Ironwood trees dozens of feet off the forest floor. — Austin Merrill, WSJ, "The Amazon: The Heart of the World," 3 Dec. 2018 First up: Piranha, a charmingly bad film about killer piranhas. — Lindsey Lanquist, SELF, "I Tracked My Heart Rate While Watching the 10 'Scariest' Movies on Netflix," 14 June 2018 Check out the tropical birds and piranha in the waiting area. — Anne Harnagel, latimes.com, "Searching for Billy the Kid and UFOs in southeastern New Mexico," 18 May 2018 Her own eye-popping setpieces included a giant man-eating piranha and a flaming piano. 23. — Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Revisit 30 unforgettable Bradley Center concerts before the Milwaukee arena's demolition," 24 Apr. 2018 Even the piranha they fish for can kill them with their razor-sharp teeth. — Kimberly Nordyke, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Gold Rush: Parker's Trail' Gets Second Season at Discovery Channel (Exclusive)," 13 Feb. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'piranha.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for piranha
piranha
noun
English Language Learners Definition of piranha
: a small South American fish that has sharp teeth and that eats the flesh of animals
See the full definition for piranha in the English Language Learners Dictionary
piranha
noun
pi·ra·nha
| \ pə-ˈrä-nə
\
\
Kids Definition of piranha
: a small South American freshwater fish that has very sharp teeth, often occurs in groups, and may attack human beings and animals in the water
Keep scrolling for more