albacore

American  

[al-buh-kawr, -kohr] / ˈæl bəˌkɔr, -ˌkoʊr /

noun

plural

albacore,

plural

albacores

1. a long-finned tuna, Thunnus alalunga, of warm or temperate seas, the flesh of which is valued for canning.

2. any of various tunalike fishes.

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albacore British  

/ ˈælbəˌkɔː /

noun

1. Also called: long-fin tunny.  a tunny, Thunnus alalunga, occurring mainly in warm regions of the Atlantic and Pacific. It has very long pectoral fins and is a valued food fish

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Etymology

Origin of albacore

1570–80; < Portuguese albacora ≪ North African Arabic al-bakūrah the tuna

Explanation

Albacore is a large tuna fish with a long, silver body, huge eyes, and oversized pectoral fins. As a food, albacore is also known as "white tuna." When it comes to canned tuna fish, albacore isn't the safest type to eat regularly; because it's so large, it contains a high level of mercury. The smaller skipjack is considered a healthier choice. A fully grown albacore weighs over 70 pounds, and it can be found in both tropical and temperate waters. Albacore comes from the Portuguese and has an Arabic root: al bakara, or "milk cow."

Example Sentences

Born in Seattle, Kawahara was a professional fisherman who focused on salmon, albacore tuna and halibut.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2025

Her husband fished salmon and albacore with it for 24 years, and the life raft on board could carry four people and held about a week’s worth of supplies.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 28, 2023

For instance, during the heat waves of 2014 and 2015, bluefin and albacore tuna moved northwest.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 29, 2023

"It's unusual because it's been years and years since we've seen this amount of albacore," Quisca said.

From Reuters • Aug. 7, 2023

I picked up only a straggler from the albacore that were feeding.

From "The Old Man and The Sea" by Ernest Hemingway