fugu

American

[foo-goo] / ˈfu gu /

noun

any of several species of puffer fish eaten as a delicacy, especially in Japan, after the removal of the skin and certain organs which contain a deadly poison.

fugu British

/ ˈfuːɡuː /

noun

any of various marine pufferfish of the genus Tetraodontidae , eaten as a delicacy in Japan once certain poisonous and potentially lethal parts have been removed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fugu

Borrowed into English from Japanese around 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

fugu

Unfazed, Mahama's government declared Wednesdays "fugu" day on his return home, with traders and weavers reporting a spike in demand for the centuries-old attire since.

From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026

Ghana has designated every Wednesday as a day to wear the country's traditional outfit, the fugu, days after it sparked an online debate with Zambians.

From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2026

Some findings were unexpected, including previously unknown coronaviruses in the well-studied fugu fish and axolotls.

From Science Magazine ● Jan. 26, 2022

There is Nippon, the stage where, since 1963, soba, fugu and other things have danced into the city’s consciousness.

From New York Times ● Oct. 26, 2021

Indeed, the mere hint of danger — rather like eating poisonous fugu fish from a reputable sushi bar in Tokyo — may well have added to the overall exhilaration of the evening.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2021

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023