-
1Fish is the usual plural form. The older form, fishes, can be used to refer to different kinds of fish. [countable] a creature that lives in water, breathes through gills, and uses fins and a tail for swimming They caught several fish. tropical/marine/freshwater fish shoals (= groups) of fish a fish tank/pond There are about 30,000 species of fish in the world. The list of endangered species includes nearly 600 fishes. Fish stocks in the North Atlantic are in decline. In the pool she could see little silvery fish darting around. Topic CollocationsThe Living Worldanimals
- animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on something)
- fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)
- birds fly/migrate/nest/sing
- insects crawl/fly/bite/sting
- insects/bees/locusts swarm
- bees collect/gather nectar/pollen
- spiders spin/weave a web
- snakes/lizards shed their skins
- bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate
- insect larvae grow/develop/pupate
- an egg/a chick/a larva hatches
- attract/find/choose a mate
- produce/release eggs/sperm
- lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs
- inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast
- mark/enter/defend (a) territory
- stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey
- trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower
- a seed germinates/sprouts
- leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form
- flower buds swell/open
- a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes something
- pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant
- produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores
- produce/bear fruit
- develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves
- provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients
- perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis
- bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply
- bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on something
- bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize something/cause disease
- bacteria break something down/convert something (into something)
- a virus enters/invades something/the body
- a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)
- be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria
- contain/carry/harbor bacteria/a virus
- kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria
- 2[uncountable] the flesh of fish eaten as food frozen/smoked/fresh fish fish stew The chef's fish dishes are his specialty. Fish forms the main part of their diet. Idioms
used to emphasize how easy it is to do something What do you mean you can't do it? It'll be like shooting fish in a barrel!
an important person (in a small community)
a person who seems unfriendly and without strong emotions
a completely different situation or person from the one previously mentioned
to drink a lot of alcohol regularly
a person who feels uncomfortable or awkward because he or she is in surroundings that are not familiar
to have more important or more interesting things to do
neither one thing nor another The hovercraft has always suffered from the fact that it is neither fish nor fowl.
there are many other people or things that are as good as the one someone has failed to get
Check pronunciation: fish