shark
The origin and history of shark.
Etymology
First recorded in English in the 1400s referring to the fish, origin uncertain — possibly linked to an older sense of "shark" meaning a swindler or rogue, since sharks (the fish) have long symbolised ruthless predators.
Class of 1400
shark first entered the language around 1400. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1400 →