king mackerel
- noun
- /kɪŋ ˈmækərəl/
- Specialized
- Do you have any idea the joy a man experiences pulling a 70-pound king mackerel... Out of the waters around Jekyll Island?
- tagged king mackerel
- king mackerel tagging
- grouper and king mackerel
Examples
-
"You'll like king mackerel," my father assured him.
Fiction book (1996) -
In better times, my father and I had once chartered a boat to troll for king mackerel past the shoals.
Fiction book (1998) -
The data indicate that eastern Florida waters may maintain resident king mackerel.
Academic text (1994) -
Son, do you have any idea the joy a man feels pulling a 70-pound king mackerel out of the waters around Jekyll Island?
-
Florida's east coast also supports intensive year-round king mackerel fishing, unlike certain areas in the Gulf.
Academic text (1994) -
The recreational fishery for king mackerel grew in importance as the commercial fishery thrived.
Academic text (1994) -
During all of the tagging studies described, commercial handline fishermen were contracted to catch king mackerel for tagging.
Academic text (1994) -
From 1988-93, the NMFS tagged 8,391 king mackerel in the same region in southeast Florida during four winters (Table 1).
Academic text (1994) -
Species targeted by most Florida operators included grouper, king mackerel, snapper, amberjack, dolphin, bonito, Sarda sarda, and shark.
Academic text (1992) -
Anglers are excited to catch a king mackerel because it is known for its strong fight and excellent taste.
Synonyms
A large sea fish with a long pointed nose that people eat and catch for sport
A large mackerel-like fish with a long pointed snout eaten and caught for sport along the Atlantic coast
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally formed: 'king' functions as an intensifying/modifier meaning large or prominent and 'mackerel' names the fish, so the overall sense ‘a large or notable mackerel’ is directly inferable from the constituents. This follows a common noun‑noun/adjunct naming pattern for animals found in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will likely understand the MWE.
Etymology
King mackerel: The name king mackerel comes from fishermen who called a very large mackerel a king because it was 'large' and more 'prized' than other mackerel. That's why the name now means this big fish people want to catch and eat.