Swordfish

[f. SWORD sb. + FISH sb.¹ Cf. MLG. swertvisch, G. schwertfisch, etc.]

  1.  The common name of Xiphias gladius, a large fish of the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific, having the upper jaw prolonged into a sword-like weapon; the flesh is used for food. Also extended to other species of the genus Xiphias and related genera.

  Also applied locally to several fishes of slender elongated form, as the garfish or garpike (Belone vulgaris), the butter-fish or spotted gunnel (Centronotus or Murænoides gunnellus), also called SWORDICK, and the cutlass-fish or silvery hair-tail (Trichiurus lepturus). Also, the grampus or killer (Orca gladiator), a ferocious toothed cetacean.

c. 1400.  Brut, cclvii. 523. This yere were taken iiij gret ffisshes bitwen Greth & London: one was called mors marine, þe secund, A swerd fyssh, & þe other tweyn wer whalles.

c. 1460.  J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 836. Salt swyrd-fysche savery & fyne.

a. 1586.  Sidney, Arcadia, III. (1912), 517. The sword-fish, against the whale; the Rhinoceros against the elephant.

1613.  Descr. Bermudas, in Force, Tracts (1844), III. III. 22. The Sword-fish swimmes vnder the Whale, and pricketh him vpward.

1646.  Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., III. xxiii. 168. The horne of the Pristis or Sword-fish.

1658.  Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., verse 14. II. iv. 47. The sword-fish, which Plutarch saith, hath … a sword in the head, but no heart to use it.

1706.  Phillips (ed. Kersey), Sword-Fish, a Sea-fish which has at the end of the upper Jaw, a Weapon like a Sword…; It also has Vents near the Eyes, to spout forth Water, with seven Fins.

1769.  Pennant, Brit. Zool., III. 128. The sword fish is said to be very voracious.

1820.  Shelley, Arethusa, 68. The shadowy waves Are as green as the forest’s night:—Outspeeding the shark, And the swordfish dark.

1839.  T. Beale, Nat. Hist. Sperm Whale, 49. It is said by whalers, that the ‘thresher’ and the sword-fish attack the whale in conjunction.

  b.  attrib.

1888.  Goode, Amer. Fishes, 249. Upon the end of the ‘shank’ fits the head of the harpoon, known by the names of Sword-fish iron, lily-iron, and Indian-dart.

1891.  Cent. Dict., s.v., Swordfish sucker, a remora, Echeneis brachyptera, which often fastens on swordfishes.

1897.  Kipling, Captains Courageous, viii. 190. A Gloucester sword-fish boat.

  2.  The southern constellation Dorado or Xiphias.

1771.  Encycl. Brit., I. 487. The new Southern Constellations [include] … Dorado, Xiphias, The Sword Fish.

  Hence Swordfisherman, a vessel employed in fishing for swordfish; Swordfishery, Swordfishing, fishing for swordfish.

1879.  The Congregationalist, 20 Aug. (Cent. Dict.). Sword-fishing is the most popular way of spending the day [at Block Island].

1885.  C. F. Holder, Marvels Anim. Life, 61. The Thumbscrew was a sword-fisherman, long, low and rakish.