saltfish

1 3.5

A fish that people keep by drying and adding salt, often used in traditional dishes

noun
/ˈsɔltˌfɪʃ/

: bacalao salado

They said it looked stiff and slimy and that the stewed saltfish was too oily.
saltfish and ackee

Examples

Any meaty, white fish can be cured and dried to make saltfish, although cod remains a popular choice.

Blog text (34)
My wife offers you saltfish.

Solomon (1997)
I travel to Jerusalem to sell saltfish.

Solomon (1997)
You just had aki and saltfish pizza.
I do eat rice and peas and saltfish.

Fiction book (1990)
Saltfish is a key ingredient in the traditional dish of ackee and saltfish.
I enjoy making a flavorful stew with saltfish, vegetables, and spices.
In many Caribbean cultures, saltfish is often served with rice and peas.

Synonyms

salt cod

vssaltfish

1 2.8

Cod fish dried and kept in salt that you soak before cooking

is any preserved fish not limited to one species used in traditional dishes

How Salty

saltfish

1 3.5

fresh seafood

3 1.3

Surface Forms

saltfish singular

saltfish plural

Morphology

saltfish = salt + fish (transparent) = salt + fish

The noun is a straightforward compound of 'salt' + 'fish' meaning fish preserved with salt; the meaning is predictable from the parts.

Etymology

The word saltfish is simply made of salt and fish, and it comes from the old idea of packing fish in 'salt' to stop it from going bad on long trips. That's why saltfish today means fish preserved by drying and salting and why you often need to soak it before cooking.