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

Noun Inflected Forms

• John Dories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of John Dory

1600–10; see dory ²; jocular formation

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

John Dory

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2025

A fillet of John Dory, slowly cooked in butter, comes with a sauce of lightly sweetened lemon juice and olive oil and a dusting of lime leaf zest.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 10, 2023

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

Down in the street below, John Dory, who had tracked his wife to the building, was walking away with face as black as night.

From Peter Ruff and the Double Four by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim