John Dory

American  

[dawr-ee, dohr-ee] / ˈdɔr i, ˈdoʊr i /

noun

John Dories plural

1. any fish of the family Zeidae, especially Zeus faber, of European seas, having a vertically compressed body and long spines in the dorsal fin.

---

John Dory British  

/ ˈdɔːrɪ /

noun

1. a European dory (the fish), Zeus faber , having a deep compressed body, spiny dorsal fins, and massive mobile jaws

2. a related fish, Zeus australis , which is a valued food fish of Australia

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• John Dories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of John Dory

1600–10; see dory ²; jocular formation

Example Sentences

Their open-faced toasts are great — their John Dory Tuna Toasts are always delicious.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2025

A fillet of John Dory, slowly cooked in butter, comes with a sauce of lightly sweetened lemon juice and olive oil and a dusting of lime leaf zest.

From Washington Post • Feb. 10, 2023

Recent dishes include a feather-light John Dory tartare with seaweed in cucumber juice and a tender chargrilled piper fish in zucchini purée.

From New York Times • Jun. 30, 2022

Mr Moon will eat a baked John Dory sea fish that is commonly served in his hometown, the South Korean port city, Busan.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2018

Yes; 'tis all a brag of John's, but I'll— Enter John Dory.

From Wild Oats or, The Strolling Gentlemen by Anonymous