big fish noun

1. A powerful person
2. Such a person in a criminal organization thought worthy of capture

Bigˈfoot noun (also without cap; pl bigˈfeet)

In the USA and Canada, a hairy primate reputed to inhabit wilderness areas, and said to be between 6 and 15 feet tall

Big Four noun

A collective name for the four largest UK clearing banks: HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland

big game see under game¹

big girl's blouse noun (informal)

Someone who behaves in a feeble or effeminate manner

big government noun (chiefly US derog)

A style of government in which there is high taxation and the state takes a prominent role in the provision of public services

big guns plural noun (informal)

The important, powerful persons in an organization, etc

big hair noun

Hair in a bouffant style

bigˈhead noun (informal)

1. A conceited person
2. Conceit (N American)

bigˈheaded adjective

big-heartˈed adjective

Generous

big hitter noun

1. (in cricket, baseball, etc) a player who hits the ball a long way
2. An important, influential, or successful person (informal)

bigˈhorn noun

A large-horned mountain-dwelling sheep (Ovis canadensis) of N America and Siberia

big house noun

1. Prison (US sl)
2. The house of the local landowner, a wealthy citizen, or the like

big iron noun

(comput sl) large, powerful mainframe computers

big money same as big bucks above.

bigˈmouth noun (slang)

A talkative and often boastful or indiscreet person

bigˈmouthed adjective

big name noun (informal)

A celebrity

big noise noun (informal)

An important person

bigˈ-note transitive verb (Aust inf)

To boast about oneself, try to make (oneself) seem important

Big Pharma noun

The major pharmaceutical companies, collectively

big science noun

Scientific and technical research that requires large financial resources

big screen noun

The cinema, as opposed to television

bigˈ-screen adjective

big shot see bigwig below.

big society noun

The political idea that more power and responsibility should be devolved from the state into the hands of local communities

big tent noun

A political group or party that accommodates a broad range of views

big stick noun (informal)

A display of force, as a threat or means of persuasion

big tent noun

A political group or party that accommodates a broad range of views

big-tickˈet adjective (US inf)

Expensive

big time noun (informal)

The top level in any pursuit, esp show business

bigˈ-time adjective

1. At the top level
2. Important

adverb

To a large extent, greatly

big toe see under toe

big top noun

A large circular tent used for circus performances

big tree noun (N American)

The giant redwood

big wheel noun

A Ferris wheel

big White Chief noun

1. See big Daddy above
2. An important person (informal)

bigˈwig or big shot noun (informal)

A powerful person, a person of some importance

be big on (informal)

1. To do a lot of, be strong in (a particular area of work, etc)
2. To be enthusiastic about

big up (slang)

To express approval and respect for

go over big (with) (informal)

To impress greatly

in a big way

1. To a large extent
2. Vigorously, enthusiastically

that's big of him, etc (usu ironic)

That action, etc is generous on his, etc part

the Big Apple

(also the Apple) (informal) New York City

the Big C (informal)

Cancer

the Big Smoke see under smoke

too big for one's boots or breeches

Conceited, self-important

what's the big idea?

What on earth is going on?

fish¹ /fish/

noun (pl fish or fishˈes)

1. A member of a large group of cold-blooded vertebrates that live in water and breathe through gills
2. Loosely, any exclusively aquatic animal
3. The flesh of fish as food
4. A person, as in a queer fish
5. (in pl with cap and the) Pisces
6. A fish-dive

intransitive verb

1. To catch or try to catch or obtain fish, or anything that may be likened to a fish (such as seals, sponges, coral, compliments, information or husbands; often with for)
2. To search, rummage
3. To serve the purpose of fishing

transitive verb

1. To catch and bring out of water
2. To bring up or out from a deep or hidden place, obscurity, etc
3. To elicit (with out)
4. To practise the fisherman's craft in
5. To ransack
6. To hoist the flukes of (nautical)

fishˈable adjective

fishˈer noun

1. A fisherman (now rare)
2. An inappropriate name for the pekan or woodshock, a type of marten

fishˈery noun

1. The business of catching fish
2. A place for catching fish
3. A place where fish are reared for sale
4. A right of fishing

fishˈful adjective (obsolete)

Containing many fish

fishˈify transitive verb (Shakespeare)

To turn into fish, or make fish-like

fishˈiness noun

fishˈing adjective

Used in fishing

noun

1. The art or practice of catching fish
2. A fishing ground or stretch of water where one fishes

fishˈy adjective

1. Consisting of fish
2. Like a fish
3. Containing many fish
4. Dubious, as of a story
5. Equivocal, unsafe

fishˈball see fish cake below.

fishˈ-bellˈied adjective

Swelled out downwards like the belly of a fish

fishˈ-bone noun

fishˈburger noun

A flat cake, similar to a hamburger, made of minced fish

fish cake or fishˈball noun

A ball or cake of chopped fish and mashed potatoes, fried

fishˈ-carvˈer or fishˈ-trowel noun

A large flat implement for carving fish at table

fishˈ-creel noun

1. An angler's basket
2. A fishwife's basket

fishˈ-day noun

A day on which fish is eaten rather than meat

fishˈ-dive noun (slang)

A ballerina's leap into a partner's outstretched arms

fish eagle noun

Any of various fish-eating eagles, esp the African fish eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) of central and southern Africa

fish eaters plural noun (rare)

A knife and fork for eating fish with

fishˈerman noun

A person who fishes for sport or as a business

fisherman's luck noun

Getting wet and catching no fish

fisherman's ring noun

A signet ring, with the device of St Peter fishing, used in signing papal briefs

fishˈerwoman noun

fishˈeye noun (slang)

An unfriendly, suspicious stare

fisheye lens noun (photography)

An ultra-wide-angle lens covering up to 180º

fishˈ-fag noun (archaic)

A woman who sells fish

fish farm noun

fish farmer noun

fish farming noun

Rearing fish in ponds or tanks, for sale

fish finger noun

A fairly small oblong cake of fish coated in batter or breadcrumbs

fishˈ-garth noun

An enclosure on a river for the preserving or taking of fish (also fishˈ-weir)

fishˈ-glue noun

Isinglass, or any other glue made from the skins, air-bladders, etc of fish

fishˈ-god noun

A deity wholly or partly like a fish in form, like the Philistine Dagon

fishˈ-guano noun

Fish-manure

fishˈ-guts plural noun

fishˈ-gutter noun

fishˈ-gutting noun

fishˈ-hatchery noun

A place for the artificial rearing of fish

fishˈ-hawk noun

An osprey

fishˈ-hook noun

A barbed hook for catching fish

fishˈing-frog noun

The devilfish

fishing ground noun

An area of water, esp of the sea, where fish are caught

fishˈing-line noun

(a) fine strong usu nylon filament used (eg with a rod, hooks, etc) to catch fish

fishˈing-rod noun

A long slender rod to which a line is fastened for angling

fishˈing-tackˈle noun

Tackle, such as nets, lines, etc, used in fishing

fish kettle noun

A long oval dish for boiling or poaching fish

fish knife noun

1. A knife with a broad, blunt-edged, usu decorated blade for eating fish with
2. A broad-bladed knife for cutting and serving fish with

fishˈ-laddˈer or (N American) fishˈway noun

An arrangement of steps and shelters enabling fish to pass around artificial river barriers such as dams, weirs, etc

fish louse noun

A copepod or other crustacean which is a parasite on fishes

fishˈ-manureˈ noun

Fish used as a fertilizer

fishˈmeal noun

1. Dried fish, ground to meal
2. A meal of fish (Shakespeare)
3. An abstemious, sparing diet

fishˈmonger noun

A dealer in fish

fishˈ-net adjective

Woven as a fine net

fishˈ-oil noun

Oil obtained from fish and other marine animals

fishˈ-packing noun

fish pond noun

A pond in which fish are kept (formerly also fishˈ-stew)

fishˈ-salesman noun

A person who receives consignments of fish for sale by auction to retail dealers

fishˈ-scrap noun

Fish or fishskins from which oil or glue has been extracted

fishˈskin noun

1. The skin of a fish
2. (also fishskin disease) ichthyosis

fish slice noun

1. A flat implement for carving fish at table
2. A broad, flat implement for turning fish, etc in the frying-pan

fishˈ-spear noun

A spear or dart for catching fish

fishˈ-stew noun (obsolete)

A fish pond

fish stick noun (N American)

A fish finger

fishˈ-strainer noun

A metal colander for taking fish from a boiler

fishˈtail adjective

Shaped like the tail of a fish

intransitive verb

1. To swing the tail of an aircraft from side to side to reduce speed while gliding downwards
2. (of the back of a vehicle) to swing or skid from side to side

fish-torpēˈdo noun

A self-propelling torpedo

fishˈway noun (N American)

A fish-ladder

fishˈ-weir noun

A fish-garth

fishˈwife or fishˈ-woman noun

1. A woman who carries fish about for sale
2. A coarse, loud-mouthed woman

fishˈyback noun (US)

Transportation of freight containers and trailers by ship or barge

a fish out of water

A person in an unaccustomed, unsuitable situation which makes him or her ill at ease

big fish (slang)

An important or leading person

drink like a fish

To drink (usu alcohol) to excess

fish in troubled waters

To take advantage of disturbed times to further one's own interests

have other fish to fry

To have something else to do or attend to

make fish of one and flesh (or fowl) of another

To make offensive distinctions

neither fish nor flesh (nor good red herring) or neither fish, flesh, nor fowl

Neither one thing nor another

odd fish or queer fish

A person of odd habits, or of a nature with which one is not in sympathy

pretty kettle of fish see under kettle¹