Tope
/toʊp/noun
A small shark, especially one of the genus Galeorhinus.
Did you know?English tope is a borrowed word ultimately from a Scandinavian source, and its history shows how animal names can travel across languages while shedding their original sense.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
English
tope
“a small shark”
Old Norse
ON
tópa
“a shark or dogfish (reconstructed/attested regional form)”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*topō-
“a shark-like fish (reconstructed)”
Modern English
English
tope
“a small shark, especially Galeorhinus galeus”