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Definition of goblin shark
goblin shark
Plural:goblin sharks
goblin shark Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
8
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A rare, deep-sea species of shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) characterized by a distinctively elongated, flattened snout, pinkish skin, and highly protrusible jaws equipped with nail-like teeth.
Example
"Marine biologists were thrilled when the deep-water submersible captured rare footage of a goblin shark extending its jaws to catch prey."
Word Origin & Etymology
A direct translation of its Japanese name 'tenguzame' (tengu shark), named after a mythical Japanese creature called a tengu, which is often depicted with a long, prominent nose resembling the shark's elongated snout.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Goblin shark. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/goblin shark