John Dory

American  

[dawr-ee, dohr-ee] / ˈdɔr i, ˈdoʊr i /

noun

John Dories plural

1. any fish of the family Zeidae, especially Zeus faber, of European seas, having a vertically compressed body and long spines in the dorsal fin.

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John Dory British  

/ ˈdɔːrɪ /

noun

1. a European dory (the fish), Zeus faber , having a deep compressed body, spiny dorsal fins, and massive mobile jaws

2. a related fish, Zeus australis , which is a valued food fish of Australia

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• John Dories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of John Dory

1600–10; see dory ²; jocular formation

Example Sentences

Their open-faced toasts are great — their John Dory Tuna Toasts are always delicious.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2025

The accompaniments are equally straightforward, such as sesame and radish for the scallops, soy and parsley for the fluke, and olive oil and lemon for the black bass, John Dory and flounder.

From Washington Post • May 15, 2019

Mr Moon will eat a baked John Dory sea fish that is commonly served in his hometown, the South Korean port city, Busan.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2018

Baked John Dory, a dish made from the flat sea fish, will also be served in recognition of Moon’s younger days in the South Korean port city of Busan.

From The Guardian • Apr. 24, 2018

The rivers and seas teem with excellent fish; but the eel and smelt, the mullet, whiting, mackarel, sole, skate, and John Dory are, I believe, the only sorts known in this country.

From Statistical, Historical and Political Description of the Colony of New South Wales and its Dependent Settlements in Van Diemen's Land With a Particular Enumeration of the Advantages Which These Colonies Offer for Emigration, and Their Superiority in Many Respects Over Those Possessed by the United States of America by Wentworth, William Charles