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Definition of spinner shark
spinner shark
Plural:spinner sharks
spinner shark Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
7
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A slender species of requiem shark found in tropical and warm temperate oceans worldwide, characterized by black-tipped fins and a unique habit of leaping from the water and rotating rapidly while feeding.
Example
"While boating off the coast of Florida, we were thrilled to see a spinner shark launch itself out of the water and twirl mid-air before splashing back down."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Named for its distinctive feeding strategy, which involves lunging vertically through schools of small fish and leaping out of the water, spinning up to three times on its longitudinal axis.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Spinner shark. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/spinner shark