From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishldoce_102_ffishfish1 /fɪʃ/ ●●● S1 W1 noun (plural fish or fishes) 1 [countable]HBF an animal that lives in water, and uses its fins and tail to swim Over 1,500 different species of fish inhabit the waters around the reef. The stonefish is the most deadly of all fishes. The lake is well stocked with fish (=it contains a lot of fish).2 [uncountable]DFF the flesh of a fish used as food → seafood You usually drink white wine with fish. In Japan, people eat raw fish. Oily fish (=fish that contains a lot of oil) is supposed to be good for you. ► You say fish and chips, not 'chips and fish'. 3 → (be/feel) like a fish out of water4 → there are plenty more fish in the sea5 → neither fish nor fowl6 → have other/bigger fish to fry7 → odd fish/queer fish8 → cold fish9 → a big fish in a little/small pond → drink like a fish at drink1(2), → another/a different kettle of fish at kettle(3)COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: an animal that lives in water, and uses its fins and tail to swimADJECTIVES/NOUN + fishfreshwater fish (=that live in rivers or lakes)The pools are home to frogs, newts, and freshwater fish.saltwater fish (=that live in the ocean)saltwater fish such as cod and tunariver/sea fishPike are river fish.tropical fisha tank full of tropical fish farmed fish (=fish that are from a fish farm)We also know that farmed fish don’t have as much omega 3 as wild salmon.verbscatch/land a fishPete caught a really big fish.breed fishHe has been breeding tropical fish for many years.keep fish (=have them as pets or for breeding)We used to keep tropical fish when I was young.fillet a fish (=cut the meat away from the bones)You need a sharp knife to fillet fish.a fish swimsRed fish swam on either side of the boat.a fish bites (=it takes food from a hook and gets caught)The fish aren’t biting today.fish + NOUNfish stocks (=the quantity of fish in the sea)Fish stocks have declined dramatically.fish species (also species of fish) (=the group of fish that are similar and can breed together)74 of California's 113 native fish species are in need of protection.a fish tank (=for keeping fish indoors, usually as pets)The filter in his fish tank made a quiet humming noise.a fish pond (=for keeping fish outdoors, in a garden)We’re thinking of building a fish pond in the back garden.fish food (=for feeding fish)I sprinkled some fish food into the tank.phrasesa shoal/school of fish (=a large group swimming together)Shoals of little fish were swimming around her.COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: the flesh of a fish used as foodadjectivesfresh fishThe market sells an amazing variety of fresh fish.frozen fish (=stored at a very low temperature to preserve it)I stopped at the supermarket to buy some frozen fish.white fish (=whose meat is white when cooked)grilled white fishoily fish (=containing a lot of natural oil)A diet of oily fish can help prevent heart disease.fried fish (=cooked in hot oil)We’re going to have fried fish tonight.steamed/poached fish (=cooked over boiling water)The kitchen smelt of steamed fish.baked fish (=cooked in an oven)Serve the baked fish with slices of lemon.battered fish (=covered in a mixture of flour and water, and then fried)The restaurant is well-known for its battered fish dishes.raw fish (=not cooked)In Japan we like to eat raw fish.smoked fish (=left in smoke to give it a special taste)It was the finest smoked fish they had ever tasted.dried fish (=preserved by having the water removed)Occasionally, the guards gave us some vegetables and dried fish.salted fish (=preserved by adding salt)The dish is made with rice and salted fish.verbseat fishYou should eat more fish.cook fishI think I’ll cook fish tonight.fish + NOUNa fish shopShe works in the fish shop on the High Street.a fish marketI brought some salmon at the local fish market.fish soupUse the bones to make fish soup.fish paste (=a smooth food, made by crushing fish )She spread some fish paste on fresh bread.phrasesfish and chipsWhy don't we stop off for some fish and chips on the way home?
Examples from the Corpus
fish• Fishing the smaller rivers and streams gives you the chance to actually watch the fish.• We're having fish for supper.• At once, I found myself swallowed by a huge fish.• To ensure that the breeding of such fish is continued we will try to obtain new specimens whenever possible.• Dredge the fish in the bread crumb mixture, pressing crumbs on a bit to stick.• Communication Colour is more important to fish than to mammals and birds, and in fish it is often highly variable.• Even birds need toys - fish must have some plants and rocks to swim around.fishfish2 ●●○ S3 verb 1 DLOTI[intransitive] to try to catch fish → fishing Dad really loves to fish.fish for a Japanese vessel fishing for tuna in the Eastern Pacific2 LOOK FOR[intransitive always +adv/preposition] informal to search for something in a bag, pocket etcfish about/around She fished around in her purse and pulled out a photo.fish for Chris fished in his pocket for a coin.3 DLOTI[transitive] to try to catch fish in a particular area of water → fishing Other nations are forbidden to fish the waters within 200 miles of the coast.4 → fish for compliments5 [intransitive] to try to find out information, without asking directly ‘Are you here with your wife?’ she asked, fishing. → fish somebody/something ↔ out→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
fish• Mainly he was happy to fish.• He threw in a bucket of groundbait, a pint of maggots, and fished all night without a bite.• Some went fishing from a small outrigger canoe they paddled out into the lagoon.fish for• We're fishing for trout.fish about/around• Occasionally they ventured out to see if there were any flying fish about.• Tiny vessels fussed in her wake like pilot fish around a whale and aircraft roared past her portholes.• Our tests on moving fish around in correctly dosed water brought impressive results.• I fished around in my handbag, coming up with some loose change.• Mark fished around in the pile of paper for some which was suitable and gave it to him.• The fisherman apologized for bothering him and then told the fish about the wish for a cottage.• At this point I had better cover some of the regulations regarding the transport of live fish around the world.• White worm I keep marines and breed white worms which I feed to my fish about twice a week.Origin fish1 Old English fisc; related to Pisces 