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Definition of nurse shark

nurse shark

Plural:nurse sharks
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• noun

1

A bottom-dwelling, largely sluggish shark of the family Ginglymostomatidae, native to warm, shallow coastal waters of the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans, characterized by sensory barbels near its mouth and a generally docile nature.

Example

"During our snorkeling trip in the Bahamas, we spotted a large nurse shark resting peacefully under a coral ledge."

• Nearby Words

nuptials
nuremberg
nurse
nurse shark
nursemaid
nursery
nursie

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Nurse shark. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/nurse-shark
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