Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

piranha

/pɪˈɹɑn(j)ə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.75 in modern English

Syllables: pi-ran-ha
IPA: /pɪˈɹɑn(j)ə/

12

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

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).

noun

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.

Derogatory

Example Sentences

"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."
"In The Simpsons, Millhouse is more worried about piranhas than that his mother will stop loving him. Bart is reduced to a skeleton by piranhas from a hosepipe."
"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."

Etymology

First attested in 1869. The term entered English either via Portuguese piranha or Spanish piraña, from Old Tupi pirãîa.

Origin

Source language: Portuguese
First known use: First attested in 1869

Word Breakdown

Root: piranha, piraña, pirãîa

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /pɪˈɹɑn(j)ə/
British English: /pɪˈɹɑːn(j)ə/

Usage

Derogatory

Inflected Forms

piranhas (plural) piraña (alternative) pirana (alternative) piraya (alternative, obsolete)

Derived Forms

piranhic

Phrases

piranha etch piranha solution red-bellied piranha red piranha social piranha

Synonyms

pirana caribe marauder predator vulture

Questions

How do you pronounce piranha?: The recorded pronunciation is /pɪˈɹɑn(j)ə/.
What does piranha mean?: 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).
Where does piranha come from?: It is traced to Portuguese. First known use: First attested in 1869.

How to pronounce piranha

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “piranha”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/pɪˈɹɑn(j)ə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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