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general::
noun animal that lives and breathes in water ADJ. freshwater, marine, salt-water, sea | tropical | predatory QUANT. school, shoal VERB + FISH catch, land He landed one very big fish. | breed, farm, have, keep fish farmed in Scotland He keeps tropical fish. FISH + VERB swim | hatch | bite The fish aren't biting (= biting at the bait) today. FISH + NOUN species | bowl, pond, tank | food | stocks the depletion of fish stocks fish as food ADJ. fresh | dried, frozen, salted, smoked | oily | red, white QUANT. bit, piece | fillet VERB + FISH eat, have | clean, fillet, gut, prepare, skin I cleaned and filleted the fish. | marinade | bake, cook, fry, grill, poach, steam | flake Remove the skin and flake the cooked fish. FISH + VERB taste This fish tastes funny. FISH + NOUN bone | cake, dish, finger, oil, paste, pie, sauce, soup, stock | market, shop | knife, slice PHRASES fish and chips, fish in batterFOOD
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
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general::
In addition to the idioms beginning with FISH, Also see BIG FISH IN A SMALL POND; COLD FISH; DRINK LIKE A FISH; GOLDFISH BOWL; KETTLE OF FISH; LIKE SHOOTING FISH IN A BARREL; NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL; NOT THE ONLY FISH IN THE SEA; OTHER FISH TO FRY; SMELL FISHY.
American Heritage Idioms
5
general::
fish
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + fish
freshwater fish
(= that live in rivers or lakes )
• The pools are home to frogs, newts, and freshwater fish.
saltwater fish
(= that live in the ocean )
• saltwater fish such as cod and tuna
river/sea fish
• Pike are river fish.
tropical fish
• a tank full of tropical fish
farmed fish
(= fish that are from a fish farm )
• We also know that farmed fish don’t have as much omega 3 as wild salmon.
verbs
catch/land a fish
• Pete caught a really big fish.
breed fish
• He has been breeding tropical fish for many years.
keep fish
(= have them as pets or for breeding )
• We used to keep tropical fish when I was young.
fillet a fish
(= cut the meat away from the bones )
• You need a sharp knife to fillet fish.
a fish swims
• Red fish swam on either side of the boat.
a fish bites
(= it takes food from a hook and gets caught )
• The fish aren’t biting today.
fish + NOUN
fish stocks
(= the quantity of fish in the sea )
• Fish stocks have declined dramatically.
fish species
( also species of fish ) (= the group of fish that are similar and can breed together )
• 74 of California's 113 native fish species are in need of protection.
a fish tank
(= for keeping fish indoors, usually as pets )
• The filter in his fish tank made a quiet humming noise.
a fish pond
(= for keeping fish outdoors, in a garden )
• We’re thinking of building a fish pond in the back garden.
fish food
(= for feeding fish )
• I sprinkled some fish food into the tank.
phrases
a shoal/school of fish
(= a large group swimming together )
• Shoals of little fish were swimming around her.
fish 2
adjectives
fresh fish
• The market sells an amazing variety of fresh fish.
frozen fish
(= stored at a very low temperature to preserve it )
• I stopped at the supermarket to buy some frozen fish.
white fish
(= whose meat is white when cooked )
• grilled white fish
oily fish
(= containing a lot of natural oil )
• A diet of oily fish can help prevent heart disease.
fried fish
(= cooked in hot oil )
• We’re going to have fried fish tonight.
steamed/poached fish
(= cooked over boiling water )
• The kitchen smelt of steamed fish.
baked fish
(= cooked in an oven )
• Serve the baked fish with slices of lemon.
battered fish
(= covered in a mixture of flour and water, and then fried )
• The restaurant is well-known for its battered fish dishes.
raw fish
(= not cooked )
• In Japan we like to eat raw fish.
smoked fish
(= left in smoke to give it a special taste )
• It was the finest smoked fish they had ever tasted.
dried fish
(= preserved by having the water removed )
• Occasionally, the guards gave us some vegetables and dried fish.
salted fish
(= preserved by adding salt )
• The dish is made with rice and salted fish.
verbs
eat fish
• You should eat more fish.
cook fish
• I think I’ll cook fish tonight.
fish + NOUN
a fish shop
• She works in the fish shop on the High Street.
a fish market
• I brought some salmon at the local fish market.
fish soup
• Use the bones to make fish soup.
fish paste
(= a smooth food, made by crushing fish )
• She spread some fish paste on fresh bread.
phrases
fish and chips
• Why don't we stop off for some fish and chips on the way home?
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