pike-like fish, 1765, American English, shortening of garfish (mid-15c.), from fish, n. + Middle English gare, gore "a spear," from Old English gar "spear," from Proto-Germanic *gaizaz "spear" (cognates: Old Norse geirr "spear; point of an anvil," Old Saxon, Old High German ger, German Ger "spear"), from PIE *ghaiso- "a stick, spear" (see goad, n.). The fish so called for its long sharp snout. Compare Edgar, garlic.