tuna

- 5 dictionary results

tu⋅na

1 [too-nuh, tyoo-]

–noun, plural (especially collectively

) -na, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species

) -nas.

1.	any of several large food and game fishes of the family Scombridae, inhabiting temperate and tropical seas. Compare albacore, bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna.

2.	any of various related fishes.

3.	Also called tuna fish. the flesh of the tuna, used as food.

Origin:
1880–85, Americanism; < AmerSp, var. of Sp atún < Ar al the + tūn < Gk thýnnos tunny

2 [too-nuh, tyoo-]

–noun

1.	any of various prickly pears, esp. either of two erect, treelike species, Opuntia tuna or O. ficus-indica, of Mexico, bearing a sweet, edible fruit.

2.	the fruit of these plants.

Origin:
1545–55; < Sp < Taino

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source

tu·na¹ (tōō'nə, tyōō'-)

n. pl. tuna or tu·nas

1. Any of various often large scombroid marine food and game fishes of the genus Thunnus and related genera, many of which, including T. thynnus and the albacore, are commercially important sources of canned fish. Also called tunny.
2. Any of several related fishes, such as the bonito.
The edible flesh of tuna, often canned or processed. Also called tuna fish.

[American Spanish, from Spanish atún, from Arabic at-tūn, the tuna, from Latin thunnus; see tunny.]

tu·na² (tōō'nə, tyōō'-)

Any of several flat-jointed tropical American cacti of the genus Opuntia, which includes the prickly pears, especially O. tuna of Jamaica, having yellow flowers and edible red fruit.
The edible fruit of any of these cacti. Also called cactus pear.

[American Spanish, from Taino.]

Word Origin & History

tuna

1881, from Amer.Sp. (California) tuna, from Sp. atun, from Ar. tun, from L. thunnus "tunny" (see tunny).

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