Is 'barracuda' English, or is it actually Spanish?

'Barracuda' is a word borrowed from Spanish 'barracuda'. The word entered the English language some time around 1678.

barracuda [noun] [1678]

• any of a genus ( of the family Sphyraenidae) of elongate predaceous often large bony fishes of warm seas that includes ...
• one that uses aggressive, selfish, and sometimes unethical methods to obtain a goal especially in business

Meaning: a large elongate marine bony fish ( Thyrsites atun of the family Gempylidae) used for food and caught commercially in the waters off New Zealand and southern Australia.

Etymology: modification of American Spanish barracuda.

Topics: Animals:Fish, Food:Seafood.

Origin: From Spanish to Carib to English.

note: Originates from Spanish barracuda likely arriving in English in the 17th century. The ultimate origin is uncertain but it likely comes from Caribbean Spanish possibly related to barraco (brave or stubborn) or a word for a rough jagged ridge - referring to the fish's teeth.

See 'barracuda' on the Loan Words Map

See more loan words from Spanish.

See more loan words from 1600s.