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silver hake

silver hake

6.6
A sea fish found off the Atlantic coast of North America that people eat
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪlvər heɪk/
  • US
translation icon : merluza
  • The silver hake is a popular choice among chefs for its delicate flavor and flaky texture when cooked.
  • Atlantic silver hake
  • silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis)
  • silver hake stocks

Examples

  • The area's leading finfish species in landings and value, respectively, were silver hake (whiting) and summer flounder (fluke).

    Academic text (1990)
  • Some prey species, such as Atlantic cod, silver hake, and Atlantic herring, are commercially valuable.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The potential for biological interaction may differ by stock of silver hake.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The impact of the expanding population of seals on the recovery of silver hake cannot be ascertained.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The New England fisheries chosen were Atlantic cod, silver hake, and Atlantic herring.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Silver hake consumed by pinnipeds and that targeted by the fishery were more similarly sized.

    Academic text (2000)
  • A portion of the silver hake taken by harbor seals is also of the size class that is typically discarded (15-25 cm).

    Academic text (2000)
  • Prey consumed included windowpane flounder, silver hake, sand lance, skates, and gadids.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Silver hake was the predominant year-round prey at 71% frequency of occurrence (FO).

    Academic text (2000)
  • Most silver hake mature between ages 2 (20-30 cm) and 3 (25-35 cm) (Helser et al., 1995; Mayo, 1998).

    Academic text (2000)

Synonyms

Merluccius bilinearis
vssilver hake
  • Specialized
9.9

A fish called the silver hake that lives off the east coast of North America

is the common name used for the same species and its food value

Surface Forms

silver hake singular
silver hakes plural

Morphology

silver + hake

The meaning is directly compositional: 'silver' describes a color/appearance and 'hake' names a fish, so 'silver hake' straightforwardly denotes a hake that is silver (a species/name of fish). This follows a common adjective+noun pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Silver hake is a name made from the fish's shiny, silvery skin and the word hake, a name fishermen used for a long sea 'fish'. So the name gives a simple picture — a 'silver' fish of the 'hake' kind — and today it just means that particular edible fish.