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milkfish

American  
[milk-fish] / ˈmɪlkˌfɪʃ /

noun

  • milkfishes,
    plural
  • milkfish
    plural
  1. a herringlike fish, Chanos chanos, found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.


milkfish British  
/ ˈmɪlkˌfɪʃ /

noun

  1. a large silvery tropical clupeoid food and game fish, Chanos chanos: family Chanidae

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of milkfish

First recorded in 1875–80; milk + fish, so called for its color


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.

See Examples For:

Abeta says the administration is also developing ocean farming of species like milkfish, snapper and sea cucumbers to support exports and domestic food security.

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2026

The menu is filled with classic Filipino dishes; pork sisig, silog paired with everything from milkfish to longanisa, beef calderata, crispy fried pork leg and lumpia.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 24, 2021

After capturing a brace of milkfish in a seine net, the guides Moana Kofe and T. John anchored our cat on a small coral island and positioned four anglers opposite a channel.

From New York Times ● Jul. 18, 2011

They will prey on anything they can catch and squeeze into their capacious mouths: mullet, juvenile milkfish, even bonefish.

From New York Times ● Jul. 18, 2011

The milkfish is cultivated in shallow ponds along the coasts of these countries.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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