tuna

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun tropical American prickly pear of Jamaica
  2. noun important warm-water fatty fish of the genus Thunnus of the family Scombridae; usually served as steaks
  3. noun any very large marine food and game fish of the genus Thunnus; related to mackerel; chiefly of warm waters

Etymology

Borrowed from United States Spanish tuna, alteration of Spanish atún, from Arabic اَلتُّنّ (at-tunn, “tuna”), from Latin thunnus, itself from Ancient Greek θύννος (thúnnos). Possibly in the sense of "darter" from thynein "to dart along". Doublet of tonno.

In classic literature

Synonyms

Opuntia tuna

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