bottom feeder

See also: bottomfeeder and bottom-feeder

English

Alternative forms

• bottom-feeder, bottomfeeder

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Noun

bottom feeder (plural bottom feeders)

1. A fish or other aquatic creature that feeds off the bottom of its habitat; a flatfish.
   • 2023 May 12, Lauren McCarthy, “‘A Bit Spooky’: The New Shark Species With Bright, White Eyes”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     The Apristurus genus, the second-most diverse group of sharks that counts about 40 species, is commonly known as the ghost or demon catshark. […] The sharks are bottom feeders and have elongated catlike eyes.

2. (by extension, informal, derogatory) A person who operates amidst or thrives on the unwholesome things in a society; one who takes advantage of the misfortune of others.
   • 2013 November 16, Christian Dem, “Bottom-feeders using social media to intimidate witnesses”, in The Daily Kos, NC:

     “[T]he rise of Facebook, Twitter and other social media has made it harder to control the flow of information, thus making it easier for bottom-feeders to bully witnesses.”

   • 2022 February 2, Elisabeth Vincentelli, “‘Pam & Tommy’: A Story of Sex, Crimes and Videotape”, in The New York Times‎^[2], →ISSN:

     The real-life cast of characters grew to include bikers, gamblers, a brutal money lender named Butchie (Andrew Dice Clay) and assorted bottom feeders like Gauthier’s accomplice Milton Ingley (Nick Offerman), a pornographer in the San Fernando Valley.

Related terms

• bottom feeding

Translations

a fish or other aquatic creature that feeds off the bottom of its habitat; a flatfish

• Finnish: pohjakala (fi) (fish)
• French: poisson de fond (fr) m
• German: Bodenbewohner m (any bottom), Grundfisch m (fish)
• Spanish: pez de fondo m

See also

• bottom fishing