piranha

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pi·ra·nha

also pi·ra·ña (pĭ-rä′nə, -rä′nyə)

Any of various tropical American freshwater fishes of several genera, especially Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus, that have sharp teeth and are known for attacking and feeding on live animals. Also called caribe.

[Portuguese, from Tupí : pirá, fish + ánha, teeth.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

piranha

(pɪˈrɑːnjə) or

piraña

(Animals) any of various small freshwater voracious fishes of the genus Serrasalmus and related genera, of tropical America, having strong jaws and sharp teeth: family Characidae (characins)

[C19: via Portuguese from Tupi: fish with teeth, from pirá fish + sainha tooth]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pi•ra•nha

(pɪˈrɑn yə, -ˈræn-, -ˈrɑ nə, -ˈræn ə)

n., pl. -nhas, (esp. collectively) -nha.

any of several small South American freshwater fishes of the genus Serrasalmus, family Serrasalmidae, with sharp interlocking teeth: predatory on fishes and mammals and dangerous when swimming in schools.

[1865–70; < Portuguese < Tupi]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	piranha - someone who attacks in search of booty marauder, predator, vulture aggressor, assailant, assaulter, attacker - someone who attacks moss-trooper - a marauder and plunderer (originally operating in the bogs between England and Scotland)
	2.	piranha - small voraciously carnivorous freshwater fishes of South America that attack and destroy living animals caribe, pirana characid, characin, characin fish - any freshwater fish of the family Characinidae genus Serrasalmus, Serrasalmus - piranhas

Translations

piraija

piranha

[pɪˈrɑːnə] N → piraña f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

piranha

[pəˈrɑːnə] [piranha] (pl) n (also piranha fish) → piranha m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

piranha (fish)

n → Piranha m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

piranha

[pɪˈrɑːnjə] n → piranha m inv

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

References in periodicals archive ?

She said they put the piranha they found in nearby bushes.

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"The new piranha encounter will appeal to the explorer in all of us," explained aquarium curator Jonny Rudd.

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They then go into Carlito's Piranha House to meet some of the regular customers.

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Cable ONE Business is currently considering Mississippi as a top contender for its next launch of Piranha Fiber -- Ferociously Fast Internet, which offers 2 gigabits per second of symmetrical Internet speed, the company said.

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The mysterious fish in Lake Dojran whose specimens were taken to the Hydro-Biological Institute of Ohird are not piranhas but Amazonian pacu, which isn't dangerous for the people and will disappear by the time winter comes because they live in rivers whose temperature never goes below 20 degrees Celsius, Dnevnik reports.

How aquarium fish becomes dangerous piranha

Arctic Piranha takes place Saturday, 7.30pm-10.30pm and tickets are PS3 with companions free.

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Curious Connections--The strongest bite force of any bony fish ever recorded is 320 Newtons (N)--from South America's black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus)--the largest species of carnivorous piranha.