CATFISH

catfish, siluriform fish

(noun) any of numerous mostly freshwater bottom-living fishes of Eurasia and North America with barbels like whiskers around the mouth

wolffish, wolf fish, catfish

(noun) large ferocious northern deep-sea food fishes with strong teeth and no pelvic fins

catfish, mudcat

(noun) flesh of scaleless food fish of the southern United States; often farmed

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology 1

Noun

catfish (countable and uncountable, plural catfish or catfishes)

any fish of the order Siluriformes, mainly found in fresh water, lacking scales, and having barbels like whiskers around the mouth

Synonyms: catlet (Africa), sheat, sheatfish

Verb

catfish (third-person singular simple present catfishes, present participle catfishing, simple past and past participle catfished)

To fish for catfish

Etymology 2

From the 2010 documentary Catfish, supposedly inspired by the practice of fishermen keeping cod active by storing them with catfish (see sense 1) which nip at their tails.

Noun

catfish (plural catfishes)

(internet) Someone who creates a fake profile on a social media platform in order to deceive people.

(internet) Such a fake profile.

Verb

catfish (third-person singular simple present catfishes, present participle catfishing, simple past and past participle catfished)

(Internet, slang, transitive) To create and operate a fake online profile to deceive (someone).

Source: Wiktionary

Cat"fish`, n. (Zoöl.)

Definition: A name given in the United States to various species of siluroid fishes; as, the yellow cat (Amiurus natalis); the bind cat (Gronias nigrilabrus); the mud cat (Pilodictic oilwaris), the stone cat (Noturus flavus); the sea cat (Arius felis), etc. This name is also sometimes applied to the wolf fish. See Bullhrad.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition