Nurse shark

Nurse shark
Shark Shark, n. [Of uncertain origin; perhaps through OF. fr. carcharus a kind of dogfish, Gr. karchari`as, so called from its sharp teeth, fr. ka`rcharos having sharp or jagged teeth; or perhaps named from its rapacity (cf. {Shark}, v. t. & i.); cf. Corn. scarceas.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of elasmobranch fishes of the order Plagiostomi, found in all seas. [1913 Webster]

Note: Some sharks, as the basking shark and the whale shark, grow to an enormous size, the former becoming forty feet or more, and the latter sixty feet or more, in length. Most of them are harmless to man, but some are exceedingly voracious. The man-eating sharks mostly belong to the genera {Carcharhinus}, {Carcharodon}, and related genera. They have several rows of large sharp teeth with serrated edges, as the great white shark ({Carcharodon carcharias} or {Carcharodon Rondeleti}) of tropical seas, and the great blue shark ({Carcharhinus glaucus}) of all tropical and temperate seas. The former sometimes becomes thirty-six feet long, and is the most voracious and dangerous species known. The rare man-eating shark of the United States coast ({Charcarodon Atwoodi}) is thought by some to be a variety, or the young, of {C. carcharias}. The dusky shark ({Carcharhinus obscurus}), and the smaller blue shark ({C. caudatus}), both common species on the coast of the United States, are of moderate size and not dangerous. They feed on shellfish and bottom fishes. [1913 Webster]

2. A rapacious, artful person; a sharper. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster]

3. Trickery; fraud; petty rapine; as, to live upon the shark. [Obs.] --South. [1913 Webster]

{Baskin shark}, {Liver shark}, {Nurse shark}, {Oil shark}, {Sand shark}, {Tiger shark}, etc. See under {Basking}, {Liver}, etc. See also {Dogfish}, {Houndfish}, {Notidanian}, and {Tope}.

{Gray shark}, the sand shark.

{Hammer-headed shark}. See {Hammerhead}.

{Port Jackson shark}. See {Cestraciont}.

{Shark barrow}, the eggcase of a shark; a sea purse.

{Shark ray}. Same as {Angel fish} (a), under {Angel}.

{Thrasher shark} or {Thresher shark}, a large, voracious shark. See {Thrasher}.

{Whale shark}, a huge harmless shark ({Rhinodon typicus}) of the Indian Ocean. It becomes sixty feet or more in length, but has very small teeth. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Nurse shark — Nurse Nurse (n[^u]rs), n. [OE. nourse, nurice, norice, OF. nurrice, norrice, nourrice, F. nourrice, fr. L. nutricia nurse, prop., fem. of nutricius that nourishes; akin to nutrix, icis, nurse, fr. nutrire to nourish. See {Nourish}, and cf.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • nurse shark — nurse′ shark n. ich any scavenging shark of the family Orectolobidae, having a barbel and deep groove at either side of the mouth, esp Ginglymostoma cirratum[/ex] • Etymology: 1850–55 …   From formal English to slang

  • Nurse shark — Not to be confused with grey nurse shark. Nurse shark Temporal range: 112–0 Ma …   Wikipedia

  • nurse shark — noun small bottom dwelling shark of warm shallow waters on both coasts of North America and South America and from southeast Asia to Australia • Syn: ↑Ginglymostoma cirratum • Hypernyms: ↑shark • Member Holonyms: ↑Ginglymostoma, ↑genus… …   Useful english dictionary

  • nurse shark — any of several sharks of the family Orectolobidae, esp. Ginglymostoma cirratum, occurring in shallow waters from Rhode Island to Brazil and the Gulf of California to Ecuador. [1850 55; allegedly so called because the male habitually hangs on to… …   Universalium

  • nurse shark — arktinis ryklys statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Somniosus microcephalus angl. Greenland shark; ground shark; Gurry shark; nurse shark; sleeper shark rus. атлантическая полярная акула; гренландская… …   Žuvų pavadinimų žodynas

  • nurse shark — ūsuotasis ryklys auklė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Ginglymostoma cirratum angl. nurse shark rus. ковровая акула; усатая акула; усатая акула нянька ryšiai: platesnis terminas – ūsuotieji rykliai… …   Žuvų pavadinimų žodynas

  • nurse shark — noun Etymology: alteration of nusse Date: 1851 any of various sharks (as family Ginglymostomatidae); especially a shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) of warm waters …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • nurse shark — noun a slow moving shark with barbels on the snout. [Ginglymostoma cirratum (Atlantic) and other species.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • nurse shark — /ˈnɜs ʃak/ (say ners shahk) noun any shark of the widely distributed family Orectolobidae, having a groove on each side of the head …  

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