grouper

¹ American  

[groo-per] / ˈgru pər /

noun

grouperer, plural groupers plural

1. any of various sea basses of the family Serranidae, especially of the genera Epinephelus and Mycteroperca, of tropical and subtropical seas.

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grouper ² American  

[groo-per] / ˈgru pər /

noun

1. a member of a group, as of tourists.

2. Slang. a member of a group of usually young and single persons who rent and share a house or apartment, as at a summer resort.

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grouper British  

/ ˈɡruːpə /

noun

1. a variant of groper

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• grouperer
  plural
• groupers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of grouper¹

First recorded in 1680–90, grouper is from the Portuguese word garupa, of uncertain origin

Origin of grouper²

First recorded in 1930–35; group + -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grouper groupers

In the Atlantic Ocean, thousands of grouper, a type of reef fish highly valued by fishers, congregate around and inside shipwrecks.

From Salon ● Dec. 30, 2023

Pina said the expedition's scientists were also disappointed to find few larger specimens of fish like grouper, snapper and sharks even on Cuban reefs that appeared otherwise healthy.

From Reuters ● Sep. 1, 2023

Just outside the kitchen, under photographs of celebrities that have previously dined here, including actors, athletes, and television personalities, Tavares tells us that muqueca with grouper is the restaurant’s most popular item.

From National Geographic ● Jul. 17, 2023

But the preferred species for the dish is white grouper, and the fishery has collapsed in the face of aggressive fishing by locals and foreign poaching.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 5, 2023

Right away I got a couple of decent mangrove snappers, and Dad caught a fat keeper grouper.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

If the reefs collapse, so will some bigger fish stocks, like tuna and groupers.

From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2024

In 2021, he was awarded the grand prize for capturing a trio of groupers in the act of spawning.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2023

Giant groupers flourish among the rocks, a psychedelic purple nudibranch sea slug clings to an outcrop, and a pair of rays skate along the undisturbed sandy bottom.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 13, 2022

The groupers were ready for harvest, but since the ban took effect a week ago he has not received orders from fish traders who would normally be calling at this time of the year.

From New York Times ● Jun. 22, 2022

He bided his time for vengeance, and used his sword on crabs and flatfish and fat groupers.

From Children of the Wild by Roberts, Charles George Douglas, Sir