1. any of various cold-blooded, aquatic vertebrates, having gills, commonly fins, and typically an elongated body covered with scales.
2. (loosely) any of various aquatic animals.
3. the flesh of fishes used as food.
4. the constellation or sign of Pisces.
5. a person: an odd fish; a poor fish.
6. a long strip of wood, iron, etc., used to strengthen a mast, joint, etc.
7. an incompetent player whose incompetence can be exploited.
8. a dollar: He sold the car for 500 fish.
9. Slang.
• a new prison inmate.
• a high school or college freshman; frosh.

10. to catch or attempt to catch (any species of fish or the like).
11. to try to catch fish in (a stream, lake, etc.): Let's fish the creek.
12. to draw, as by fishing (often followed by up or out): He fished a coin out of his pocket for the boy.
13. to search through, as by fishing.
14. Nautical.
• to secure (an anchor) by raising the flukes.
• to reinforce (a mast or other spar) by fastening a spar, batten, metal bar, or the like, lengthwise over a weak place.

15. to catch or attempt to catch fish, as by angling or drawing a net.
16. to search carefully: He fished through all his pockets but his wallet was gone.
17. to seek to obtain something indirectly or by artifice: to fish for compliments; to fish for information.
18. to search for or attempt to catch onto something under water, in mud, etc., by the use of a dredge, rake, hook, or the like.
19. to attempt to recover detached tools or other loose objects from an oil or gas well.

20. to deplete (a lake, stream, etc.) of fish by fishing.

21. to drink alcoholic beverages to excess: Nobody invites him out because he drinks like a fish.
22. to take advantage of troubled or uncertain conditions for personal profit.
23. to choose a definite course of action, especially to decide whether to participate in or retreat from an activity.
24. a person out of their proper or accustomed environment: He felt like a fish out of water in an academic atmosphere.
25. having no specific character or conviction; neither one nor the other.
26. other matters requiring attention: When it was time to act, they had other fish to fry.

1. U.S. statesman: secretary of state 1869–77.

• any of a large group of cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates having jaws, gills, and usually fins and a skin covered in scales: includes the sharks and rays (class Chondrichthyes : cartilaginous fishes) and the teleosts, lungfish, etc (class Osteichthyes : bony fishes)
• (in combination)
2. any of various similar but jawless vertebrates, such as the hagfish and lamprey
3. any of various aquatic invertebrates, such as the cuttlefish, jellyfish, and crayfish
4. the flesh of fish used as food
5. a person of little emotion or intelligence
6. short for fishplate
7. Also called: tin fish an informal word for torpedo (def. 1)
8. an awkward situation; mess
9. to drink (esp alcohol) to excess
10. to have other activities to do, esp more important ones
11. out of one's usual place
12. to discriminate unfairly between people
13. neither this nor that

14. to attempt to catch fish, as with a line and hook or with nets, traps, etc
15. to fish in (a particular area of water)
16. to search (a body of water) for something or to search for something, esp in a body of water
17. to seek something indirectly

1. fluorescence in situ hybridization, a technique for detecting and locating gene mutations and chromosome abnormalities

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