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piranha


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Definition of piranha

noun

  • a deep-bodied South American freshwater fish that typically lives in shoals and has very sharp teeth that are used to tear flesh from prey. It has a reputation as a fearsome predator.
    • Serrosalmus and other genera, family Characidae: several species

Origin:

mid 18th century: via Portuguese from Tupi pirá 'fish' + sainha 'tooth'

Spelling help

Remember that piranha ends with -ha: it is a Portuguese word.

piranha in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of piranha in the US English dictionary
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