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The '''piranha''' or '''piraña''' (pronounced (in [[SAMPA]]) /p<sup>h</sup>ir\`an'j@/ (or /p<sup>h</sup>r\`an'j@), /p<sup>h</sup>ir\`a'J@/, or /p<sup>h</sup>ir\`an'@/) is a [[carnivore|carnivorous]] [[freshwater]] [[fish]] living in [[South American]] [[river]]s. It belongs to the [[family (biology)|family]] of [[serrasalmus]]. They are about 15 to 25 [[centimetre|cm]] long (6 to 10 [[inch]]es) long, and known for their sharp [[tooth|teeth]] and an aggressive appetite for [[meat]]. The flesh-eating variety are only known to live in the Amazonian and Paraguayan river systems.
The name 'piranha' may come from a hybrid [[language]] composed of [[Tupi-Guarani]] languages; it may be a compound word made of the components 'pirá', meaning 'fish', and 'sanha' or 'ranha', meaning 'tooth'. Alternately, it may come from [[Tupi languages|Tupi]] 'pirá' ('fish') and 'ánha' ('cut').
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