Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small shark: "dogfish" refers to any of several species of relatively small sharks, often found in coastal waters.
   • A freshwater fish: "dogfish" can also refer to a primitive, long-bodied, carnivorous freshwater fish with a very long dorsal fin, found in North America.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The fishermen caught a dogfish in their net. (The fishermen caught a small shark in their net.)
  • The dogfish is a common sight in these shallow coastal waters. (The small shark is a common sight in these shallow coastal waters.)
  • We studied the biology of the North American dogfish in class. (We studied the biology of the North American freshwater fish in class.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "dogfish" is often used in a general sense for small sharks, but specific types include the spiny dogfish (a small, bottom-dwelling shark) and the smooth dogfish.

Variants and Related Words

• Spiny dogfish: A specific, common species of small shark ().
• Bowfin: Another common name for the North American freshwater fish , which is also called "dogfish."
• Mudfish: A regional name for the same freshwater "dogfish."

Synonyms

• Small shark: For the marine meaning.
• Bowfin, grindle: For the freshwater fish meaning.

Related Phrases

• Dogfish shark: A clarifying phrase often used to specify the marine animal, as in "We went out to tag dogfish sharks for the research project."

Noun

1. any of several small sharks
2. primitive long-bodied carnivorous freshwater fish with a very long dorsal fin; found in sluggish waters of North America