Fishes

British  

/ ˈfɪʃɪz /

noun

1. the constellation Pisces, the twelfth sign of the zodiac

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fishes Cultural  

1. Traditionally, a class of vertebrates that breathe with gills rather than lungs, live in water, and generally lay eggs, although some bear their young alive. Some biologists consider the fishes a “superclass,” and divide them into three classes: bony fishes, such as sunfish and cod; fishes with a skeleton formed of cartilage rather than bone, such as sharks; and fishes that lack jaws, such as lampreys.

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Discover More

Fishes are cold-blooded animals.

Example Sentences

You don’t have to be Italian to celebrate the Fishes; as long as you’ve got a good attitude — and a big appetite — everyone’s welcome at the table.

From Salon • Dec. 14, 2025

Most of my family came to the U.S. from Italy in the mid-20th Century, and as far as I know, they’ve been celebrating the Fishes together every year since.

From Salon • Dec. 14, 2025

Their aim was to answer questions about feeding in early vertebrates without jaws in the early Devonian epoch -- sometimes called the Age of Fishes -- around 400 million years ago.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2024

The Loaves and Fishes drop-in centre in Salford has seen soaring demand for its meals, showers and laundry facilities in recent months.

From BBC • Feb. 29, 2024

In the Standing Fishes Bible, the fishermen must have looked on in such surprise when “the fish stood on the shore all the way from Engedi to Eneglaim.”

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver