Idioms for fish
Origin of fish
before 900; (noun) Middle English
fis(c)h, fyssh, Old English
fisc; cognate with Dutch
vis, German
Fisch, Old Norse
fiskr, Gothic
fisks; akin to Latin
piscis, Irish
iasc; (v.) Middle English
fishen, Old English
fiscian, cognate with Dutch
visschen, German
fischen, Old Norse
fiska, Gothic
fiskôn
OTHER WORDS FROM fish
fish·less, adjective fish·like, adjective out·fish, verb (used with object) un·fished, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH fish
fiche fishWords nearby fish
British Dictionary definitions for fish or cut bait (1 of 2)
FISH
/ (fɪʃ) /
n acronym for
fluorescence in situ hybridization, a technique for detecting and locating gene mutations and chromosome abnormalities
British Dictionary definitions for fish or cut bait (2 of 2)
fish
/ (fɪʃ) /
noun plural fish or fishes
verb
See also
fish out
Derived forms of fish
fishable, adjective fishlike, adjectiveWord Origin for fish
Old English
fisc; related to Old Norse
fiskr, Gothic
fiscs, Russian
piskar, Latin
piscis
Scientific definitions for fish or cut bait
fish
[ fĭsh ]
Plural fish fishes
Any of numerous cold-blooded vertebrate animals that live in water. Fish have gills for obtaining oxygen, a lateral line for sensing pressure changes in the water, and a vertical tail. Most fish are covered with scales and have limbs in the form of fins. Fish were once classified together as a single group, but are now known to compose numerous evolutionarily distinct classes, including the bony fish, cartilaginous fish, jawless fish, lobe-finned fish, and placoderms.
Cultural definitions for fish or cut bait
Fish or cut bait
Make a decision now; stop hesitating. To cut bait is to stop fishing.
Idioms and Phrases with fish or cut bait (1 of 2)
fish or cut bait
Either proceed with an activity or abandon it completely. For example, You've been putting off calling him for hours; either fish or cut bait. This expression, often uttered as an imperative, alludes to a fisherman who should either be actively trying to catch fish or cutting up bait for others to use. It was first recorded in the Congressional Record (1876), when Congressman Joseph P. Cannon called for a vote on a bill legalizing the silver dollar: “I want you gentlemen on the other side of the House to ‘fish or cut bait.’” A vulgar synonym from the 1940s is shit or get off the pot.
Idioms and Phrases with fish or cut bait (2 of 2)
fish