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

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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

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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

Santander-Neto and I eventually order the grouper and shrimp muqueca.

From National Geographic ● Jul. 17, 2023

The lack of grouper has also made other fish more expensive, Kébé said.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 5, 2023

Next thing you know, some nosy neighbor calls the grouper troopers and then, Houston, we’ve got a problem.”

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

The overexploitation of parrotfish and other groupers threatens 63 percent of coral reef ecosystems.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

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

Angel-fish and groupers in the Devil's Hole, Bermuda.

From The Boy With the U. S. Fisheries by Francis Rolt-Wheeler

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