shark

1.nounA2

Definition

a large saltwater fish with rows of razor-sharp teeth and a triangular fin rising from its back. Certain species of shark can be dangerous to people swimming in the ocean.

Example

Joon saw the fin of a shark cutting through the water near the boat.

body parts: fin; typical verb: cutting through the water

The aquarium has a new tank where visitors can watch sharks swim overhead.

collocation: watch sharks swim

Common collocations

great white shark
shark attack
shark fin
shark tank
reef shark
tiger shark
swim with sharks
shark cage

Grammar Patterns

the + noun

a/an + noun

noun + verb (singular/plural)

Common Mistakes

The killer whale is a type of shark.

The killer whale is a type of whale.

killer whales are mammals, not sharks; sharks are fish with no bones in their skeleton.

2.nounB2

Definition

a dishonest person who takes money from others by cheating them or lending money at unacceptably high interest rates

Example

The loan shark threatened Walid when he could not pay back what he owed.

compound noun: loan shark

Be careful with that car dealer — he is a real shark who tricks customers into bad deals.

informal use: 'a real shark'

Common collocations

loan shark
property shark
shark of a [noun]
loan shark business

Synonyms

swindler
more formal; emphasises the act of cheating rather than aggressive lending
usurer
technical term specifically for someone who charges excessive interest; very rare in everyday English

Grammar Patterns

a/an + noun

noun + noun (compound modifier)

loan shark (compound noun)

Usage Note

When used as a modifier before another noun (loan shark, property shark, business shark), the term specifies the area where the person cheats others. This sense is almost always informal and disapproving.

Common Mistakes

The bank manager was a loan shark.

The loan shark charged him 30% interest every month.

a loan shark is an illegal moneylender, not a bank employee.

3.nounB2

Definition

someone who is exceptionally good at a particular game or activity, especially when their talent allows them to win against less experienced players

Example

The pool shark cleaned out every player in the room without ever missing a shot.

phrase: pool shark

Gabriela earned the nickname "card shark" after winning seven poker games in one evening.

phrase: card shark

Common collocations

pool shark
card shark
shark at [activity]

Synonyms

expert
neutral and formal; lacks the informal/game-like tone of 'shark'
ace
informal with similar tone; used especially for sports and games

Grammar Patterns

[game/activity] + shark

pool shark

Usage Note

This sense often describes someone whose skill gives them an advantage over less experienced people, sometimes with a hint of trickery. In American English, 'pool shark' and 'card shark' are the most common uses. Do not confuse with the DISHONEST PERSON sense — a pool shark may simply be highly skilled, not necessarily a cheat.

Idioms

jump the shark

idiom

When a TV show or series does something very silly or unbelievable to get more viewers, it often means the show is getting worse.

Many fans think the series jumped the shark in its fifth season.

Did the show jump the shark when the main character came back from the dead?

1.verbintransitiveC1

Definition

to hunt or catch sharks, usually for sport or commercial sale of their meat and fins

Example

The fishermen went sharking off the coast of South Africa for three days.

verb form: go + sharking

Piotr learned to shark from his grandfather, who had run a fishing boat for forty years.

Grammar Patterns

go sharking (phrasal)

shark for [fish type]

Usage Note

This is the original verb meaning, but it is very rare in modern English. Most speakers today use 'go shark fishing' or 'hunt sharks' instead of the verb 'to shark'.

2.verbtransitiveC1

Definition

to obtain something through dishonest or unfair methods, rather than through honest effort or payment

Example

The collector sharked the rare stamp from an elderly widow who did not know its true value.

pattern: shark [something] from [someone]

Beatriz suspected that someone had sharked the job from her by lying about their qualifications.

Synonyms

swindle
modern, more common equivalent; specifically about cheating someone out of money or property

Grammar Patterns

shark + noun (something)

Usage Note

Very rare in everyday speech. Modern English prefers 'swindle', 'con', or 'scam' to describe obtaining something dishonestly.

3.verbintransitiveC1

Definition

to act dishonestly or engage in fraud, especially for personal financial gain

Example

The travel agency had been sharking for years before the authorities finally shut it down.

verb used intransitively (to shark = to defraud)

Ife warned her cousin that the man who offered the deal was known for sharking unsuspecting tourists.

Grammar Patterns

shark (without object)

Usage Note

This sense is archaic in most varieties of English. The noun form 'shark' (DISHONEST PERSON sense) is still used, but the verb has largely been replaced by 'cheat', 'defraud', or 'scam'.

Word family

sharking
nounC1
sharklike
adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Sharks, dolphins, and whales are all large ocean animals, but they belong to different animal classes. A shark is a fish with a skeleton made of cartilage (not bone) and gills that extract oxygen from water. Dolphins and whales are mammals — they breathe air through blowholes, give birth to live young, and nurse their babies with milk. While a shark has scales that feel like sandpaper and multiple rows of sharp teeth, a dolphin has smooth skin and cone-shaped teeth, and a whale has a blowhole on top of its head for breathing. For example: 'The shark circled the boat, its dorsal fin cutting through the surface,' versus 'The dolphin leaped out of the water beside the boat, exhaling through its blowhole.'

shark ↗dolphin ↗whale ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

shark attack
shark fin
shark cage
shark tank
shark population

Phrases

swim with sharks
shark-infested waters
jump the shark

Etymology

GermanEnglish

The word 'shark' first appeared in English in the late 1500s during Sir John Hawkins' expedition to the Caribbean. Its exact origin is debated — it may come from the German word 'Schurke' (meaning a scoundrel or rogue) because early English sailors saw the fish as a predator. The dishonest-person meaning developed shortly after the fish sense became known, so the metaphor may have been present from the very beginning. The 'skilled person' meaning (as in 'pool shark') appeared in American English in the 1800s.

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shark

shark — noun

1. a large saltwater fish with rows of razor-sharp teeth and a triangular fin risin

Grammar Patterns

Common Mistakes

2. a dishonest person who takes money from others by cheating them or lending money

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. someone who is exceptionally good at a particular game or activity, especially w

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

jump the shark

shark — verb

1. to hunt or catch sharks, usually for sport or commercial sale of their meat and

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

2. to obtain something through dishonest or unfair methods, rather than through hon

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

3. to act dishonestly or engage in fraud, especially for personal financial gain

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Etymology

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