noun
sunfish
SUN-fish
Sunfish (noun) means any of various small freshwater fishes of the family Centrarchidae, often brightly coloured and flattened from side to side. Example: “The boys caught a few sunfish from the end of the dock.”
noun
1
Any of various small freshwater fishes of the family Centrarchidae, often brightly coloured and flattened from side to side.
"The boys caught a few sunfish from the end of the dock."
"Sunfish are often found in lakes and slow rivers."
"The male sunfish guarded the nest in the shallows."
2
Any of various large sea fishes of the family Molidae, with an oval body that is flattened from side to side.
"A sunfish was spotted drifting near the surface of the bay."
"The sunfish is one of the more unusual-looking fishes in the ocean."
How to use sunfish
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA fish with a round, flattened body, either a small freshwater one or a large ocean one.
When to use it
It is a neutral, everyday word for a kind of animal.
Memory tip
Check the context to tell whether a small freshwater fish or a large sea fish is meant.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
ocean sunfish
catch a sunfish
school of sunfish
freshwater sunfish
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Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The boys caught a few _____ from the end of the dock.
Etymology
The word is a compound of sun and fish. For the type of fish, the name is perhaps a reference to the rounded shape of the body.
Synonyms
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headfish
mola
centrarchid
Frequently asked questions
What is a sunfish?
Sunfish is the name for two groups of fish: small freshwater fishes of the family Centrarchidae and large sea fishes of the family Molidae.
What is the plural of sunfish?
The plural can be either sunfish or sunfishes.
Why is it called a sunfish?
The word combines sun and fish, and the name perhaps refers to the rounded shape of the fish's body.
What is the meaning of sunfish?
"sunfish" (noun) means any of various small freshwater fishes of the family Centrarchidae, often brightly coloured and flattened from side to side.
