halibut
Americannoun
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either of two large flatfishes, Hippoglossus hippoglossus, of the North Atlantic, or H. stenolepis, of the North Pacific, used for food.
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any of various other similar flatfishes.
noun
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the largest flatfish: a dark green North Atlantic species, Hippoglossus hippoglossus, that is a very important food fish: family Pleuronectidae
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any of several similar and related flatfishes, such as Reinhardtius hippoglossoides ( Greenland halibut )
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of halibut
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English halybutte, equivalent to haly (variant of holy ) + butte “flat fish” (from Middle Dutch ); so called because eaten on holy days. Compare Dutch heilbot, German Heilbutt
Explanation
A halibut is a flat fish with both eyes on one side of its body. Halibut are native to both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. With its oddly placed eyes, this coldwater fish resembles a young child's drawing. A baby halibut is more symmetrical at birth, with an eye on each side of its head. At about six months old, the fish goes through a metamorphosis that leaves it with both eyes on one side. There are many flatfish, but the halibut is the largest. The name derives from roots meaning "holy flatfish," a reference to the Christian tradition of eating fish on holy days.
Vocabulary lists containing halibut
Amazing Animals, A-Z
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Amazing Animals, List 3
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Vocabulary from Readings, Unit 2
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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.
For a decade, the combination of Danish subsidies, infrastructure investment and rising global prices for halibut, cod and shrimp have helped keep the economy ticking over.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
Sand dabs and halibut, still edible and plentiful there, were held in a net slung under the hull and served moments later.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2025
All Atlantic salmon, basa, halibut, mackerel, sockeye salmon and Pacific white shrimp were as advertised.
From Salon • Oct. 29, 2024
There was also plenty of beef tongue and halibut.
From BBC • Sep. 7, 2024
In exchange for a ride north, I had only to take regular turns at the helm—a four-hour wheel watch every twelve hours—and help tie endless skates of halibut gear.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
