opah

American  

[oh-puh] / ˈoʊ pə /

noun

1. a large, deep-bodied, brilliantly colored, oceanic food fish, Lampris regius.

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opah British  

/ ˈəʊpə /

noun

1. Also called: moonfish.   kingfish.  a large soft-finned deep-sea teleost fish, Lampris regius (or luna ), of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea, having a deep, brilliantly coloured body: family Lampridae

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Etymology

Origin of opah

First recorded in 1740–50; < an unidentified West African source

Example Sentences

Scientists recently discovered that the opah, a deep-water predatory fish, keeps its blood warmer than the surrounding water.

From Washington Post • Nov. 27, 2015

But the opah, which spends all its time in these deep places, has many features usually associated with a quick-moving, active predator, such as a large heart, lots of muscle and big eyes.

From Washington Post • May 14, 2015

The car-tire-size opah is striking enough thanks to its rotund, silver body.

From Scientific American • May 14, 2015

"It's hard to stay warm when you're surrounded by cold water, but the opah has figured it out."

From Scientific American • May 14, 2015

"Dialectic forms in Algonquin for white are wabi, wape, wampi, etc.; for morning, wapan, wapanch, opah; for east, wapa, wanbun, etc.; for day, wompan, oppan; for light, oppung."

From Myths and myth-makers: Old Tales and Superstitions Interpreted by Comparative Mythology by Fiske, John