halibut

American  

[hal-uh-buht, hol-] / ˈhæl ə bət, ˈhɒl- /

noun

• halibut,
  plural
• halibuts
  plural

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

2. any of various other similar flatfishes.

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halibut British  

/ ˈhɒlɪbət, ˈhælɪbət /

noun

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

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• halibut
  plural
• halibuts
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

halibut halibuts

"I had the best halibut dinner in my life, caught by someone that morning out on the bay," he recalled.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

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

Crispy, tender silver salmon, local halibut, and Pacific cod are fried fresh all day long.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2025

Some who had tried this lonely sort of life had given up and joined the crews of purse seiners or of long-line halibut schooners.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

When he warns about pollution—“the halibuts and the sturgeons are being wiped out by detergents”—Mr Lehrer could have been singing yesterday.

From Economist ● Oct. 31, 2017

Displayed on her deck were weird bits of equipment: submarine scooters, deep-sea motion-picture-taking devices called "halibuts," and an anti-shark cage.

From Time Magazine Archive

The halibuts, are cut into pieces on account of their great size, and are then salted; in which state they are very good eating.

From A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 01 Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time by Robert Kerr

To a hungry boy what is there better than such a halibut, unless it be two halibuts?

From The Knights of the White Shield Up-the-Ladder Club Series, Round One Play by Edward A. Rand