Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
cavalla

cavalla

9.9
A large mackerel-like fish with a long pointed snout eaten and caught for sport along the Atlantic coast
  • noun
  • /kəˈvælə/
  • US
translation icon : caballa
  • Many anglers consider the cavalla to be a challenging catch due to its speed and agility in the water.
  • king cavalla

Examples

  • King mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla, is a coastal, pelagic scombrid found off the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The fishermen were excited to catch a large cavalla during their trip along the Florida coast.

  • It's, uh, Cavalla, boss.

    Hell Hole (2024)

  • Scomberomorus cavalla.

    Academic text (1992)

  • Species with the highest overall effort were, in descending order: snapper, grouper, amberjack, and king mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla.

    Academic text (1992)

  • King mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla; little tunny, Euthynnus alleteratus; and cownose ray, Rhinoptera bonasus, were the dominant bycatch species.

    Academic text (1997)

  • At the seafood restaurant, I ordered grilled cavalla, which was delicious and very popular among the locals.

Synonyms

mackerel
vscavalla
2 2.5

The flesh of a small oily sea fish eaten as food

names a particular large coastal species rather than generic fish flesh
king mackerel
vscavalla
  • Specialized
1 6.1

A large fish with a long pointed nose eaten as food and often caught for sport

refers to the same fish but on the eastern Atlantic coast
Scomberomorus cavalla
vscavalla
  • Specialized
9.9

A large sea fish with a long pointed nose that people eat and catch for sport

is the common everyday name rather than the scientific name

Compounds

Scomberomorus cavalla
  • Specialized
9.9

A large sea fish with a long pointed nose that people eat and catch for sport

Surface Forms

cavalla singular
cavallas plural

Etymology

Cavalla comes from the Spanish and Portuguese caballa, a name for mackerel, and is probably related to caballo ('horse') because fishermen thought these fish were big, strong, and fast. So, to remember cavalla, think of a powerful, horse-like fish that is caught both for food and for sport.