catfish
UK[ˈkætfɪʃ]US[ˈkætfɪʃ]
n
a type of fish with long whisker-like growths around its mouth that lives in rivers or lakes.
n
a person who creates a false personal profile on a social networking site for deceptive purposes.
v
to lure someone into a relationship by means of a fictional online persona.
Morpheme Breakdown
cat
fish
cat
fish
Etymology
the word 'catfish' is a transparent english compound, formed by combining the nouns 'cat' and 'fish'. it originated in the early 17th century as a direct reference to the north american freshwater fish, whose prominent barbels were thought to resemble a cat's whiskers. this naming follows a common pattern in english where an animal's distinctive feature is described by analogy to a more familiar creature. the modern verb sense, dating from the early 21st century, is a metaphorical extension from the title of a 2010 documentary, itself drawing an analogy between the deceptive online person and the bottom-dwelling, often concealed, fish.
Analysis
Structure: cat + fish
cat: from old english 'catt', of germanic origin; a common name for the domestic feline. in this compound, it functions as a descriptive element, likening the fish's whiskers to a cat's.
fish: from old english 'fisc', of germanic origin; a cold-blooded aquatic animal. in this compound, it functions as the core noun, identifying the creature's biological class.
Examples
we caught a large catfish in the mississippi river.
she discovered her online boyfriend was a catfish after two years of conversation.
he was accused of catfishing multiple people using stolen photographs.