tuna

4 definitions found

tuna - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Tuna \Tu"na\, n. (Bot.)
     The Opuntia Tuna. See Prickly pear, under Prickly.
     [1913 Webster]

  Tuna \Tu"na\, n. [Cf. Tunny.]
     1. (Zool.) Any one of several species of large oceanic fishes
        belonging to the mackerel family Scombridae, especially
        the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus, formerly Orcynus  thynnus
         or Albacora thynnus), called also the common  tunny
         or great tunny, a native of the Mediterranean Sea
        and of temperate parts of the Atlantic Ocean. It sometimes
        weighs a thousand pounds or more, and is caught
        commercially in large quantity for use as food; -- also
        called, especially in Britain, tunny. It is also one of
        the favorite fishes used by the Japanese in preparing
        sushi. On the American coast, especially in New England,
        it is sometimes called the horse mackerel. Another
        well-known species is the yellowfin tuna (Thunnus  albacares
        ) of warm seas. the See Illust. of Horse  mackerel
        , under Horse.
  
     Note: The little tunny (Gymnosarda alletterata) of the
           Mediterranean and North Atlantic, and the long-finned
           tunny, or albacore (Thunnus alalunga) (see
           Albacore), are related species of smaller size.
           [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     2. The bonito, 2.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. the meat of the tuna, used as food; -- also called tuna  fish
        .
        [PJC]

  Tunny \Tun"ny\ (t[u^]n"n[y^]), n.; pl. Tunnies. [L. thunnus,
     thynnus, Gr. qy`nnos, qy^nos: cf. It. tonno, F. & Pr. thon.]
     (Zool.)
     The chiefly British equivalent of tuna; any one of several
     species of large oceanic fishes belonging to the Mackerel
     family, especially the common or great tunny (Thunnus thynnus
      syn. Albacora thynnus, formerly Orcynus thynnus)
     native of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It
     sometimes weighs a thousand pounds or more, and is
     extensively caught in the Mediterranean. On the American
     coast it is called horse mackerel. See Illust. of Horse mackerel
     , under Horse. [Written also thynny.]
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The little tunny (Gymnosarda alletterata) of the
           Mediterranean and North Atlantic, and the long-finned
           tunny, or albicore (Thunnus alalunga, see
           Albacore), are related species of smaller size.
           [1913 Webster]

tuna - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  tuna
      n 1: tropical American prickly pear of Jamaica [syn: tuna,
           Opuntia tuna]
      2: important warm-water fatty fish of the genus Thunnus of the
         family Scombridae; usually served as steaks [syn: tuna,
         tuna fish, tunny]
      3: any very large marine food and game fish of the genus
         Thunnus; related to mackerel; chiefly of warm waters [syn:
         tuna, tunny]
      4: New Zealand eel [syn: tuna, Anguilla sucklandii]