pomfret
Use pomfret in a sentence
frɪt, ˈpʌm-1720–30; earlier pamplee, pamflet, pomphlet; compare French pample, Portuguese pampo
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
pomfret or pomfret-cake1 (ˈpʌmfrɪt, ˈpɒm-) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| Also called: Pontefract cake a small black rounded confection of liquorice | |
| [C19: from Pomfret, earlier form of | |
| pomfret-cake or pomfret-cake1 | |
| —n | |
| [C19: from Pomfret, earlier form of | |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| pomfret2 (ˈpɒmfrɪt) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | any of various fishes of the genus Stromateidae of the Indian and Pacific oceans: valued as food fishes |
| 2. | any of various scombroid fishes, esp Brama raii, of northern oceans: valued as food fishes |
| [C18: perhaps from a diminutive form of Portuguese pampo] | |
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
pomfret
any of the approximately 35 species of marine fishes constituting the family Bramidae (order Perciformes), with representatives occurring in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Most are relatively rare. Members of the family are characterized by a single dorsal fin, extending the length of the body in some species. Most species are deep-bodied and have deeply forked tails. Young pomfrets often differ markedly in body and fin form from adults of their species. The blunt-headed Pacific pomfret (Brama japonica) ranges abundantly throughout the north Pacific. The bigscale pomfret (Taractichthys longipinnis) of the Atlantic Ocean, the largest species in the family, reaches a length of 90 cm (35 inches)
Learn more about pomfret with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Cite This Source
