SILVERFISH Definition & Meaning

silverfish

[ sil-ver-fish ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

plural (especially collectively) silverfish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) silverfishes.

a white or silvery goldfish, Carassius auratus.
any of various other silvery fishes, as the tarpon, silversides, or shiner.
a wingless, silvery-gray thysanuran insect, Lepisma saccharina, that feeds on starch, damaging books, wallpaper, etc.

silverfish

/ ˈ��ɪ��əˌ��ɪʃ /

a silver variety of the goldfish Carassius auratus
any of various other silvery fishes, such as the moonfish Monodactylus argenteus
any of various small primitive wingless insects of the genus Lepisma, esp L. saccharina, that have long antennae and tail appendages and occur in buildings, feeding on food scraps, bookbindings, etc: order Thysanura (bristletails)

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First recorded in 1695–1705; silver + fish

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Examples have not been reviewed.

Her skittering silverfish of a play, a Pulitzer Prize winner in 2002, glints with meaning that refuses to stay put.

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I opened up the windows to let the breeze in and blow out the smell of old air and silverfish.

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Dear Heloise: I have lived in my house for many years, and from time to time there seems to be all sorts of different sizes of silverfish.

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You imagine old ones laid out in forgotten display cases, nibbled by silverfish.

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I think there’s still a draft of it in a box somewhere in the basement, moldering away, eaten by silverfish.

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