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Definition of sleeper shark

sleeper shark

Plural:sleeper sharks
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sleeper shark Lexical Profile

• noun

1

Any of a family (Somniosidae) of slow-moving, primarily deep-water sharks found in oceans worldwide, notably including the Greenland shark and the Pacific sleeper shark.

Example

"During the deep-sea expedition, the submersible's cameras captured rare footage of a massive Pacific sleeper shark gliding silently just above the ocean floor."

• Nearby Words

sled
sledgehammer
sleeper
sleeper shark
sleeping bag
sleeve
sleigh

Word Origin & Etymology

Named for their characteristically sluggish, slow-moving behavior in the water, which early observers likened to sleeping.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Sleeper shark. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 13, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/sleeper shark
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