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Glite Dictionary
cunner

cunner

1 9.9
A small fish found near rocky coasts in the North Atlantic
  • noun
  • /ˈkʌnər/
  • US
: cunner
  • The cunner is a small fish commonly found in the waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.

Examples

  • Infrequently, red hake, cunner, Tautogolabrus adspersus, and tautog caught in the lobster pots were used as bait also (n1).

    Academic text (1990)

  • Fishermen often catch cunner while trawling in the Atlantic Ocean during the summer months.

  • The Cunner... Cummarendens.

    The Sapphires (2012)

  • The cunner has a thick-set body, usually displaying a brownish color that helps it blend into rocky environments.

Synonyms

bergall
vscunner
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A small sea fish with a slender body and blue fins found off the northeast coast of the United States

is the standard common name used more widely than the regional term
Tautogolabrus adspersus
vscunner
  • Specialized
9.9

A small coastal fish called the cunner that lives near rocky shores in North America

is the common name used in everyday speech rather than formal taxonomy

Surface Forms

cunner singular
cunners plural

Etymology

Cunner comes from an old local name used by fishermen along the North Atlantic coasts of North America. It was simply a fishermen's name for a 'small brown fish' often found near rocky shores, which is why cunner now refers to that particular small Atlantic fish.