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Definition of thresher shark

thresher shark

Plural:thresher sharks
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thresher shark Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A large pelagic shark of the family Alopiidae, native to temperate and tropical oceans worldwide, distinctively characterized by an exceptionally long, whip-like upper lobe of the tail fin which it uses to herd and stun schooling fish.

Example

"During the early morning dive off the coast of the Philippines, the marine biologists observed a thresher shark whipping its tail to stun a school of sardines."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for thresher shark

• Nearby Words

three-lined corydoras
three-spot gourami
three-toed sloth
thresher shark
threshold
thrift
thrinax

Word Origin & Etymology

The name 'thresher' comes from the shark's distinctive hunting method, using its elongated tail fin to strike and stun prey much like a farmer's flail or thresher beating grain.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Thresher shark. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/thresher shark
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