halibut

[ hal-uh-buh t, hol- ]

/ ˈhæl ə bət, ˈhɒl- /

noun, plural (especially collectively) hal·i·but, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) hal·i·buts.

either of two large flatfishes, Hippoglossus hippoglossus, of the North Atlantic, or H. stenolepis, of the North Pacific, used for food.

any of various other similar flatfishes.

Nearby words

halftone, halfway, halfway house, halfwit, hali-, halibut, halicarnassian, halicarnassus, halicot, halide, halidom

Also holibut.

Origin of halibut

1350–1400; Middle English halybutte, equivalent to haly (variant of holy) + butte flat fish (< MD); so called because eaten on holy days. Compare Dutch heilbot, German Heilbutt

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for halibut

Norway served a delectable North Atlantic halibut confit with smoked purée celeriac, sunchoke, and cured game meat.
Countries Face Off in D.C. Food Fight|William O’Connor|May 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She says that the president had steak, the first lady had halibut.
My Martha's Vineyard Close Encounter|Patricia J. Williams|August 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Recipe Jean-Georges is a legend for many reasons: this halibut recipe is one of them.
Fresh Picks|David Myers|August 18, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The flounders, plaice, and halibut form an important section of the Pleuronectid.
The Ocean World:|Louis Figuier

We put out a bait that anybody with sense would say couldn't catch nothin' but sculpin, and, by mighty, we hooked a halibut!
Cap'n Eri|Joseph Crosby Lincoln
Even in ordinary fishing—for example, for halibut—disasters may happen.
Eskimo Life|Fridtjof Nansen
Sturgeon, mullet, salmon, halibut and other fish were plentiful.
Days of the Discoverers|L. Lamprey
Cut the halibut in slices one and one-half inches thick, season with salt and pepper, roll them in oil, and broil.
The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book|Victor Hirtzler

British Dictionary definitions for halibut

halibut

holibut (ˈhɒlɪbət)

/ (ˈhælɪbət) /

noun plural -buts or -but

the largest flatfish: a dark green North Atlantic species, Hippoglossus hippoglossus, that is a very important food fish: family Pleuronectidae

any of several similar and related flatfishes, such as Reinhardtius hippoglossoides (Greenland halibut)

Word Origin for halibut

C15: from hali holy (because it was eaten on holy days) + butte flat fish, from Middle Dutch butte

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

Word Origin and History for halibut

halibut

large flatfish, early 15c., perhaps from hali "holy" (see holy) + butte "flatfish;" supposedly so called from its being eaten on holy days (cf. cognate Dutch heilbot, Low German heilbutt, Swedish helgeflundra, Danish helleflynder). For second element see butt (n.4).