catfish
noun
- type of fish
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈkætfɪʃ/ / [ˈkʰæt̚fɪʃ]
noun
Etymology: From the 2010 documentary Catfish, supposedly inspired by the practice of fishermen keeping cod active by storing them with catfish (see sense 1) which nip at their tails.
- Someone who creates a false profile on a social media platform in order to deceive people.
“Real people in a picture that was used by a catfish to create a fake identity could have a claim because their likeness was used without permission, Shear said.”
“Many online dating users create profiles on these online dating platforms looking for potential partners. However, they might end up meeting with users who have bad intentions, potential catfish. These catfish have begun pushing away potential, innocent users and possibly hindering the success of these online dating platforms.”
- Such a false profile.
verb
Etymology: From the 2010 documentary Catfish, supposedly inspired by the practice of fishermen keeping cod active by storing them with catfish (see sense 1) which nip at their tails.
- To create and operate a fake online profile to deceive (someone).
“Getting catfished is when someone falls for a person online who is not necessarily real. It can involve pictures, phone calls, social media profiles, text messages, e-mails and even phony friends or family members.”
“[to Abed] You made a profile for a fake dude and lured her into an online relationship. [to Annie] He's catfishing you.”