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king mackerel

king mackerel

1 6.1
A large fish with a long pointed nose eaten as food and often caught for sport
  • noun
  • /kɪŋ ˈmækərəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : caballa
  • 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

Scomberomorus cavalla
vsking mackerel
  • Specialized
9.9

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

occurs instead along the western Atlantic coast from the United States to Brazil
cavalla
vsking mackerel
  • US
9.9

A large mackerel-like fish with a long pointed snout eaten and caught for sport along the Atlantic coast

occurs along the western Atlantic coast from the United States down to Brazil

Surface Forms

king mackerel singular

Morphology

king + mackerel

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.