piranha
English · Français · Deutsch · Português · Română
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
piranha
- /pɪˈɹɑːn(j)ə/ UK
- /pɪˈɹɑn(j)ə/ US
- /pɪˈɹæn(j)ə/ US
Where it comes from
First attested in 1869. The term entered English either via Portuguese piranha or Spanish piraña, from Old Tupi pirãîa.
noun piranhas · piranha · piraña · pirana · piraya
- Any of certain freshwater fish of the subfamily Serrasalminae, native to South America; they are characterized by razor-sharp teeth and a reputation of being ferocious predators (despite most species being omnivorous). At a length of 36cm (14in), the red-bellied piranha was a giant of its kind – more than eight inches longer than an average specimen.
- Someone, especially a critic, who appears to be part of a swarm and attacks someone when they are vulnerable, as if in a feeding frenzy. With the piranhas of Fleet Street working themselves into a feeding frenzy over Commander Brian Paddick, a vicious vocabulary you might have naively imagined abandoned in these more tolerant times has been dusted off and brought back into use.
Translations
Every language
noun South American fish
| Español | piraña |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 피라냐 piranya |
| 日本語 | ピラニア pirania |
| 中文 | 食人鯧 /食人鲳 shírénchāng, 水虎魚 /水虎鱼 shuǐhǔyú, 比拉魚 /比拉鱼 bǐlāyú, 食人魚 /食人鱼 shírényú |
| हिन्दी | पिरान्हा pirānhā |
| Português | piranha |
| Français | piranha |
| Deutsch | Piranha |
| Italiano | piranha |
| Ελληνικά | πιράνχας piránchas |
| Română | pirania |
| Русский | пира́нья piránʹja |
| Tiếng Việt | cá răng đao, cá piranha |
| العربية | بِيرَانَا bīrānā |
| עברית | פיראניה pirana |
Talk about this word "piranha." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/piranha. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. piranha. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/piranha "piranha." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/piranha.Cite this
@misc{piranha_2026,
title = {piranha},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/piranha},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
