piranha
piranha — noun
- piranhasingular
- piranhasplural
1. a freshwater fish found in rivers across South America, known for its extremely
a freshwater fish found in rivers across South America, known for its extremely sharp teeth and its habit of attacking and eating animals, sometimes including humans
Piranhas may hide near the riverbank, so the guide warned tourists to stay back.
subject of main clause; plural generic
Dr. Okonkwo watched a shoal of piranhas strip a fish clean in minutes.
countable plural: shoal of piranhas + strip [prey] clean
A piranha bit through the nylon ropes of a fishing net in Brazil.
Local communities along the Amazon once used dried piranha teeth as small cutting blades.
- carnivorous fish
broader category; piranhas are one specific kind of carnivorous fish
- predator fish
general behavioural term; piranha names a particular species group
用法筆記
A loanword from Portuguese via the Tupi language (pirá 'fish' + ánha 'tooth'). In informal English, describing someone as 'piranha-like' or 'a piranha' suggests they are aggressively competitive, though this figurative use is not standard in reference works.