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.

Ghanaians have rushed to defend their colourful handwoven "fugu" smocks after President John Mahama's wearing of the loose-fitting traditional garment on a recent state visit to Zambia caused an online storm.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

"We'll be ordering more fugu from Ghana following the social media conversations," Hichilema said on Friday in Zambia's capital, Lusaka.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

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

From Science Magazine • Jan. 26, 2022

The knowledge that a microscopic amount of lethal poison is in every slice of fugu sashimi immeasurably intensifies the experience of every bite, no matter how trusted the chef.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 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

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