Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🐟 A large sea fish 🍽️ Edible fish meat
dolphinfish

dolphinfish

6.1
A large slender sea fish with bright colors often found near Hawaii and caught for sport and food
  • noun
  • /ˈdɑlfɪnˌfɪʃ/
translation icon : dorado
  • I caught a huge dolphinfish while fishing in Hawaii.

Examples

  • The dolphinfish is known for its vibrant colors.

  • Dolphinfish are known for their vibrant coloring and swift swimming.

  • Fishermen in Hawaii often catch dolphinfish for both sport and food.

  • The chef prepared a delicious grilled dolphinfish with tropical salsa.

  • The chef prepared a delicious meal using fresh dolphinfish, marinated in herbs and grilled to perfection.

  • While fishing off the coast of Hawaii, they caught a vibrant dolphinfish that weighed nearly twenty pounds.

  • Many sport fishermen seek to catch a dolphinfish due to its fast swimming and colorful appearance.

Synonyms

dolphin
vsdolphinfish
  • US
9 4.1

A bright fast fish often caught for food in warm seas

is the wider common name used for the same fish in many contexts
mahi
vsdolphinfish
5 6.4

A large bright fish that lives in warm seas and is called dolphinfish

is the fuller common name used more generally and formally
mahimahi
vsdolphinfish
  • US
1 7.7

A large, slim sea fish often cooked and eaten in Hawaii

is the broader common name not tied to regional culinary use
Coryphaena hippurus
vsdolphinfish
  • Specialized
9.5

A large, brightly colored fish found in warm seas, often called mahi-mahi and eaten as food

is the general common name used by fishers and cooks rather than scientific term
Coryphaena
vsdolphinfish
  • Specialized
9.9

A large, fast fish with bright colors that lives in warm seas and is often called mahi-mahi or dolphinfish

is one specific common species within that broader biological group

Surface Forms

dolphinfish singular
dolphinfishes plural

Morphology

dolphinfish = dolphin + fish (semi-transparent) = dolphin + fish

Formed as a straightforward compound 'dolphin' + 'fish', but the specific referent is a particular species (mahi-mahi) and it is not a dolphin, which may mislead learners.

Etymology

Dolphinfish gets its name because people thought this bright, fast sea fish looked and moved like a dolphin, even though it is not a dolphin; in Hawaii it is called mahi-mahi, which means 'very strong', so the name fits a strong, quick fish prized for sport and food.