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Glite Dictionary
channel cat

channel cat

6.2
A common North American freshwater catfish often caught for food
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃænəl kæt/
  • US
translation icon : pez gato
  • Many Southern recipes include fried channel cat as a regional delicacy.
  • world-record channel cat
  • blue channel cats

Examples

  • In lakes across the central United States, a channel cat can grow large enough to weigh over 30 pounds.

  • He caught a fifteen-pound channel cat near the old bridge last summer.

  • The lake is famous for its large channel cat population, attracting anglers from across the country.

  • The channel cat is a popular fish in many restaurants.

  • I caught a huge channel cat last weekend!

  • The channel cat is a popular choice among anglers due to its delicious flavor and fighting spirit.

  • Many people enjoy fishing for channel cats during the summer months when they are most active.

Synonyms

channel catfish
vschannel cat
  • US
1 3.5

A freshwater fish with whisker-like feelers common in North America and often eaten

is the shorter everyday name used commonly in casual speech
Ictalurus punctatus
vschannel cat
  • Specialized
7.7

A freshwater catfish often found in rivers and eaten as food

is the everyday common name used by people and fishers

Surface Forms

channel cat singular
channel cats plural

Morphology

channel + cat

The noun combines 'channel' (a waterway) with 'cat' to label an animal associated with channels, so a learner could infer it's an animal tied to waterways but not necessarily that it is a specific freshwater catfish species. The use of 'cat' to denote 'catfish' and the lexicalized species name make the precise referent unpredictable without prior exposure, yielding partial transparency.

Etymology

Channel cat comes from the fish's home and look: it lives in river channels and is a kind of catfish with whisker-like 'feelers', so the name points to the common freshwater fish people catch and eat.