tenpounder

9.9

A small fish often caught for sport in warm coastal waters

noun

: pez tenpounder

Anglers prize the tenpounder for its energetic fight despite its small size.

Examples

Several tenpounders were spotted swimming alongside juvenile tarpons in the lagoon.
The fisherman was thrilled to catch a tenpounder near the mouth of the river.
I caught a huge tenpounder yesterday!
The tenpounder swam gracefully through the water.
Anglers prize the tenpounder for its energetic fight despite its small size.
The fisherman was thrilled to catch a tenpounder near the mouth of the river.
Several tenpounders were spotted swimming alongside juvenile tarpons in the lagoon.

Synonyms

ladyfish

vstenpounder

1 8.9

A long, silvery fish that lives in warm coastal waters and is often caught for sport

is the broader common name for such fish not focusing on slender silvery appearance

Elops saurus

vstenpounder

Specialized

9.9

A small sea fish called ladyfish that fights hard when hooked

is the common informal name for that same species

Elops

vstenpounder

Specialized

9.9

A group of sea fish called tenpounders

is a common name for an individual game fish rather than the whole genus

genus Elops

vstenpounder

Specialized

9.8

A group of coastal fish known as tenpounders

is used for one fish species not for the whole genus

Surface Forms

tenpounder singular

tenpounders plural

Morphology

tenpounder = ten + pound (transparent) = ten + pound + er

The base 'ten-pound' (numeral + unit) is directly interpretable and adding '-er' yields a noun meaning 'one that weighs ten pounds', which is straightforward for learners.

Etymology

Tenpounder is a straightforward name made from ten and pound with the ending -er meaning 'one that is', so it originally meant a fish that 'weighs about ten pounds'. That's why today a tenpounder is the common name for a smaller, tarpon-like game fish that is known for its lively fight despite its size.