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kingfish

kingfish

2 4.2
A large sea fish that people eat and catch for sport
  • noun
  • /ˈkɪŋˌfɪʃ/
  • US
translation icon : pez rey
  • Ever since, rich Yankees had flocked here in winter migration, pursuing the tarpon, Spanish mackerel, kingfish, snook, and redfish that flashed through the emerald passes of the barrier islands.
  • tarpon and kingfish
  • kingfish and Spanish mackerel
  • catch the kingfish

Examples

  • Whole acres of the ocean's surface boiled with menhaden, and I trolled through them to catch the kingfish feeding on the school's bottom.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • "I bet you've caught trophy kingfish before."

    Fiction book (1996)
  • We filled the boat with big kingfish that Frank Lucas fought.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • We used to catch small sharks and kingfish, and once a big tuna I didn't like the taste of.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Pasty and pukestained as they were, they trolled for kingfish and Spanish mackerel like their lives depended on it, and Carrie, too.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • It's sandwiched between the peak summertime dolphin (mahi mahi) season and the prime cold weather sailfish, cobia, and kingfish action.

    Blog text (10)
  • Eels, flounder, kingfish, scup, shad, sheepshead, spot, weakfish, and an occasional Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar.

    Academic text (1990)
  • While fishing off the coast, we caught several kingfish, which tasted delicious grilled.

  • During the tournament, he proudly displayed the kingfish he caught, excited to win first place.

  • The chef prepared a special dish using kingfish, impressing all the guests at the seafood restaurant.

Surface Forms

kingfish singular
kingfishes plural

Morphology

kingfish = king + fish (transparent) = king + fish

The compound combines two common nouns and denotes a type of fish; the relation is directly inferable from its parts.

Etymology

The word kingfish joins king ('ruler' or 'large, important') and fish, so people called it a 'king' among fish because it is often big and prized for food and sport.