Shark
/ʃɑːrk/noun
A large predatory fish with a cartilaginous skeleton and multiple rows of teeth.
Did you know?English shark was first recorded in the 16th century in the sense of a swindler or rapacious person, and only later became the name of the fish, likely because the animal was seen as a greedy devourer.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skurkaz
“A cheat, rogue, or trickster (reconstructed ancestor often linked to later Germanic forms).”
Middle Dutch
Dutch
schork
“A worthless person; rogue or scoundrel.”
14th Century
English
sharker
“A swindler or extortioner; someone who preys on others.”
16th Century
English
shark
“A greedy, rapacious person; later also the fish, by extension of the same predatory idea.”
Modern English
English
shark
“A predatory fish; also, figuratively, a ruthless person, especially in business.”