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

Inflected Forms

noun

• 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

“He’s going to three-Pete,” said 13-year-old Chicagoan Max Grouper, tipping Alonso with all the confidence of a fan three times his age.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 10, 2023

Until this summer around 80% of the Grouper raised in Taiwan went to China.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2022

Grouper music doesn’t seem to concern itself with being noticed, or even enjoyed, but it’s out there, and at a bare minimum, it affirms life.

From Washington Post • Oct. 25, 2021

“Shade,” her 12th full-length record as Grouper, compiles songs written over the last 15 years across the country.

From New York Times • Sep. 17, 2021

The Red Grouper, or Groper, is a large fish, reaching an occasional weight of forty or fifty pounds, but is not common on our coasts, except in the far South.

From Fast Nine or, A Challenge from Fairfield by Douglas, Alan