angler

American  

[ang-gler] / ˈæŋ glər /

noun

1. a person who fishes with a hook and line.

2. a person who gets or tries to get something through scheming.

3. Also called allmouth, anglerfish, goosefish, lotte, monkfish.  any large pediculate fish of the family Lophiidae, especially Lophius americanus, found along the Atlantic coast of America, having an immense mouth and a large, depressed head to which is attached a wormlike filament for luring prey.

4. Also called anglerfish.  any of various related fishes of the order Lophiiformes.

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angler British  

/ ˈæŋɡlə /

noun

1. a person who fishes with a rod and line

2. informal a person who schemes or uses devious methods to secure an advantage

3. Also called: angler fish.  any spiny-finned fish of the order Pediculati (or Lophiiformes ). They live at the bottom of the sea and typically have a long spiny movable dorsal fin with which they lure their prey

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Etymology

Origin of angler

First recorded in 1545–55; angle ² + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Harry Polkinghorne, a keen 19-year-old angler, described how he regularly sees bluefin tuna now, including large schools of the fish in frantic feeding frenzies.

From BBC • Aug. 10, 2025

“Given the 2-year ocean salmon fishery closure and the short duration of this fishing period, angler participation is expected to be high,” the department said in its announcement.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2025

Officers would now have a criteria to ensure the angler, hunter or trapper is fulfilling their residency requirement, she said.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 25, 2024

An Arizona angler, Stuart Black, reached out and invited Lackmann to a fishing expedition at Apache Lake, where the fish collected would be donated to science.

From Science Daily • Oct. 30, 2023

The angler fish had recovered itself and was swimming in circles.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young