thresher

American  

[thresh-er] / ˈθrɛʃ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that threshes.

2. Also called thresher shark.  Also a large shark of the genus Alopias, especially A. vulpinus, which threshes the water with its long tail to drive together the small fish on which it feeds.

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thresher British  

/ ˈθrɛʃə /

noun

1. a person who threshes

2. short for threshing machine

3. Also called: thrasher.   thresher shark.  any of various large sharks of the genus Alopias, esp A. vulpinus, occurring in tropical and temperate seas: family Alopiidae. They have a very long whiplike tail with which they are thought to round up the small fish on which they feed

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Etymology

Origin of thresher

First recorded in 1350–1400, thresher is from the Middle English word thressher. See thresh, -er ¹

Example Sentences

We’re not talking about a loom, a thresher, or a bolt-turning robot.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Essentially, thresher shark vertebral column is fortified along its length and might work like a catapult, allowing the tail to launch over the head.

From Science Daily • Jan. 17, 2024

“This isn’t ‘Jaws,’ we’re not talking about a great white, man-eating machine — but if a thresher shark comes through and takes a nibble on your foot, that could be a problem,” said Mr. Epstein.

From New York Times • Jul. 2, 2022

Phoenix, meanwhile, has resembled basketball’s version of a thresher, ripping through the NBA and extracting what it wants.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2022

Leafie patiently fed small loads into the thresher.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson