catfish

Meanings

Noun

flesh of scaleless food fish of the southern United States; often farmed
large ferocious northern deep-sea food fishes with strong teeth and no pelvic fins
any of numerous mostly freshwater bottom-living fishes of Eurasia and North America with barbels like whiskers around the mouth
Any fish of the order Siluriformes, mainly found in fresh water, lacking scales, and having barbels like whiskers around the mouth.
The meat of such a fish, popular in the Southern U.S. and Central Europe.
Someone who creates a false profile on a social media platform in order to deceive people.
Such a false profile.

Verb

To fish for catfish.
To create and operate a fake online profile to deceive (someone).

Origin / Etymology

From cat + fish. Likely so named for its prominent barbels like a cat's whiskers. Compare West Frisian katfisk (“catfish”), Dutch katvis (“catfish”). Compare also German Seekatze (“catfish”, literally “sea-cat”).

Synonyms

catfisher, catlet, mudcat, river chicken, sheat, sheatfish, siluriform fish, wolf fish, wolffish

Scrabble Score: 15

catfish is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
catfish is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
catfish is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

catfish is a valid Words With Friends word