leatherjacket

[ leth-er-jak-it ]

noun

1. Also called leather jack. any of several carangid fishes having narrow, linear scales embedded in the skin at various angles, especially Oligoplites saurus, found in tropical American waters.
2. Australian. a pancake or other dough fried over a campfire.
3. the grub of the crane fly.

leatherjacket

/ ˈlɛðəˌdʒækɪt /

noun

1. any of various tropical carangid fishes of the genera Oligoplites and Scomberoides, having a leathery skin
2. any of various brightly coloured tropical triggerfishes of the genus Monacanthus and related genera
3. the greyish-brown tough-skinned larva of certain craneflies, esp of the genus Tipula, which destroy the roots of grasses, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of leatherjacket¹

First recorded in 1760–70; leather + jacket