barracuda

English

a typical barracuda
(Sphyraena sphyraena)

Etymology

First attested in the 1670s, from Latin American Spanish barracuda, perhaps from a Cariban word.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌbæɹəˈkuːdə/
• Rhymes: -uːdə

Noun

barracuda (plural barracuda or barracudas)

1. Any large marine fish of the genus Sphyraena that have elongated bodies, a projecting lower jaw, displaying prominent fang-shaped teeth, and are aggressive predators.
2. (figuratively) One who uses harsh or predatory means to compete.

Translations

marine fish

• Bulgarian: бараку́да f (barakúda)
• Catalan: barracuda (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 梭子魚 (zh), 梭子鱼 (zh) (suōziyú), 梭魚 (zh), 梭鱼 (zh) (suōyú)

• Czech: barakuda f
• Dutch: zeesnoek m, barracuda (nl) f
• Finnish: barrakuda (fi)
• Greek: σφύραινα f (sfýraina), μπαρακούντα n (barakoúnta)

  Ancient: σφύραινα f (sphúraina), κέστρα f (késtra)

• Icelandic: barrakúda f

• Japanese: バラクーダ (barakūda), 梭子魚 (かます, kamasu), カマス (kamasu)
• Korean: 꼬치고기 (kkochigogi)
• Navajo: yílnoodii
• Polish: barakuda f
• Portuguese: barracuda (pt) f
• Romanian: baracudă f
• Russian: барраку́да (ru) f (barrakúda), морска́я щу́ка f (morskája ščúka)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: баракуда f

• Spanish: barracuda (es) f
• Vietnamese: cá nhồng
• Vurës: non

predatory competitor — see shark

See also

• barracouta

Further reading

• barracuda on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Sphyraena on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• barracuda at OneLook Dictionary Search

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Catalan

Etymology

From Spanish barracuda.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /bə.rəˈku.də/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /ba.raˈku.da/

Noun

barracuda f (plural barracudes)

1. barracuda

Further reading

• “barracuda” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

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Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English barracuda. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌbɑ.raːˈky.daː/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: bar‧ra‧cu‧da

Noun

barracuda f (plural barracuda's)

1. barracuda, fish of the genus Sphyraena

   Synonym: zeesnoek

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba.ʁa.ky.da/
• IPA^(key): /ba.ʁa.ku.da/

Noun

barracuda m (plural barracudas)

1. barracuda

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Italian

Etymology

From Spanish barracuda.

Noun

barracuda m (invariable)

1. barracuda

Further reading

• barracuda in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

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Portuguese

Etymology

From Spanish barracuda.

Noun

barracuda f (plural barracudas)

1. barracuda (large marine fish of the genus Sphyraena)

Further reading

• “barracuda” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.

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Spanish

Etymology

Unknown, perhaps from a Cariban term. According to Watkins, from Valencian/Catalan barracó (“snaggletooth”); see barraca.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baraˈkuda/, [ba.raˈku.ð̞a]

Noun

barracuda f (plural barracudas)

1. (zoology) barracuda

   Synonym: picuda

Descendants

• → Cebuano: barakuda
• → English: barracuda
• → Italian: barracuda
• → Portuguese: barracuda

Further reading

• “barracuda”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
• “barracuda”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.