Dictionary

fishly en · ADJ

Etymology

From fish + -ly.

Meanings

1. Of, relating to, characteristic of, or pertaining to fishes; piscine.
   • "In sooth, the fellow talks as if in earnest," remarked the king, after a moment's reflection, "and though the request is, perhaps, the strangest to which I have ever listened, I really see no reason why I should not turn a fishly ear." 2009, Jean Elizabeth Ward, Chinese Wonder Book:
   • […] which fowles "would strike at our men as they were aloft: "some of them wee killed and eat: they seemed-" to us very good, only tasted somewhat fishly. 1699, Cowley, Cooke's Voyage:
   • At this the Fish did titter a fishly Titter, and Bit! 1916, University of Michigan. College of Engineering, The Michigan technic:
   • The perch, for example, regards the danger as exaggerated: all one needed was to exercise moderation, "as a fishly virtue"; "it had bitten off many a bait without suffering any damage to its body." 1989, Einar Ingvald Haugen, Norwegian-American Historical Association, Immigrant idealist:
   • Twice the cork bobbed prophecies of a fishly investigation. Twice the angler raised the squirming bait; but each time minus the scaly victim. 1916, Everybody's magazine:
   • In due course they reached the far side of the Element of Water, gourd annex. The path lead through a translucent vertical wall, and there seemed to be no special challenge to passing through it, except for their fishly status. 2000, Piers Anthony, Vale of the Vole:
   • It is a personality of a fishly sort. 1920, John Arthur Thomson, Biology of the Seasons:

Forms

Synonyms

fishen · fishy · fishish · fishlike · fishy · ichthyic · fishly · piscine · piscine · fishlike · ichthyic