1660s, genus of swordfish, from Greek xiphias "swordfish," from xiphos "a sword" (see xiphoid). Related: Xiphioid.
"sword-shaped," 1746, from Greek xiphos "a sword," of unknown origin (Klein suggests a Semitic source and compares Hebrew sayif, Arabic sayf) + -oid.
updated on April 12, 2014
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