any of various cold-blooded, aquatic vertebrates, having gills, commonly fins, and typically an elongated body covered with scales.
2.
(loosely) any of various other aquatic animals.
3.
the flesh of fishes used as food.
4.
Fishes, Astronomy,Astrology. the constellation or sign of Pisces.
5.
Informal. a person: an odd fish; a poor fish.
6.
a long strip of wood, iron, etc., used to strengthen a mast, joint, etc.
7.
CardsSlang. an incompetent player whose incompetence can be exploited.
8.
Slang. a dollar: He sold the car for 500 fish.
9.
Slang. a new prison inmate.
–verb (used with object)
10.
to catch or attempt to catch (any species of fish or the like).
11.
to try to catch fish in (a stream, lake, etc.): Let's fish the creek.
12.
to draw, as by fishing (often fol. by up or out): He fished a coin out of his pocket for the boy.
13.
to search through, as by fishing.
14.
Nautical.
a.
to secure (an anchor) by raising the flukes.
b.
to reinforce (a mast or other spar) by fastening a spar, batten, metal bar, or the like, lengthwise over a weak place.
–verb (used without object)
15.
to catch or attempt to catch fish, as by angling or drawing a net.
16.
to search carefully: He fished through all his pockets but his wallet was gone.
17.
to seek to obtain something indirectly or by artifice: to fish for compliments; to fish for information.
18.
to search for or attempt to catch onto something under water, in mud, etc., by the use of a dredge, rake, hook, or the like.
19.
to attempt to recover detached tools or other loose objects from an oil or gas well.
—Verb phrase
20.
fish out, to deplete (a lake, stream, etc.) of fish by fishing.
—Idioms
21.
drink like a fish, to drink alcoholic beverages to excess: Nobody invites him out because he drinks like a fish.
22.
fish in troubled waters, to take advantage of troubled or uncertain conditions for personal profit.
23.
fish or cut bait, to choose a definite course of action, esp. to decide whether to participate in or retreat from an activity.
24.
fish out of water, a person out of his or her proper or accustomed environment: He felt like a fish out of water in an academic atmosphere.
25.
neither fish nor fowl, having no specific character or conviction; neither one nor the other.
26.
other fish to fry, other matters requiring attention: When it was time to act, they had other fish to fry.
[Origin: bef. 900; (n.) ME fis(c)h, fyssh, OE fisc; c. D vis, G Fisch, ON fiskr, Goth fisks; akin to L piscis, Ir iasc; (v.) ME fishen, OE fiscian, c. D visschen, G fischen, ON fiska, Goth fiskôn]
Nicholas Fish, 1758-1833, b. New York City. He studied law before serving ably as a major in a New York regiment throughout the American Revolution. A New York City alderman (1806-17), he was a leading Federalist and a close friend of Alexander Hamilton. He also served (1824-32) as chairman of the board of trustees of Columbia College, a post later held by his son, Hamilton Fish (1808-93), the most illustrious member of the clan (see separate articles for Hamilton Fish, 1808-93, and for his youngest son, Stuyvesant Fish). Nicholas Fish, 1848-1902, b. New York City, was Hamilton's eldest son. He entered (1871) the U.S. diplomatic service and was minister to Belgium (1882-86).
A third son, Hamilton Fish, 1849-1936, b. Albany, N.Y., studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1873. He was a member of the New York state assembly (1874-96), serving as speaker in 1895-96, and was long Republican boss of Putnam co. On appointment by President Theodore Roosevelt, he was Assistant Treasurer of the United States in New York City (1903-8). He also served (1909-11) as a U.S. Representative.
The family's third Hamilton Fish, 1888-1991, son of the foregoing, b. Garrison, N.Y., was a football player at Harvard. A lawyer, Fish served in the New York state assembly (1914-16), distinguished himself in World War I as captain of an African-American infantry company, and from 1920 to 1945 was a U.S. Representative. A leading isolationist and vigorous anti-Communist, once accused of having connections with the Bundists and with other Axis supporters, he was opposed for renomination in 1944 by Gov. Thomas E. Dewey and other Republican leaders. Fish nevertheless won the primary but was defeated for reelection in November.
His son Hamilton Fish, 1926-96, b. Washington, D.C., continued the family's involvement in Republican politics. Admitted to the bar in 1957, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from New York in 1968, where he consistently supported civil-rights legislation. He retired from Congress in 1995.
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