scup

American  

[skuhp] / skʌp /

noun

1. a sparid food fish, Stenotomus chrysops, found along the Atlantic coast of the United States, having a compressed body and high back.

---

scup British  

/ skʌp /

noun

1. Also called: northern porgy.  a common sparid fish, Stenotomus chrysops, of American coastal regions of the Atlantic

---

Etymology

Origin of scup

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; short for earlier and dialectal scuppaug, skippaug, skapaug, from Narragansett ( English spelling) mishcuppaûog, plural (singular mishcùp )

Example Sentences

Some resistance to porgies, also known as scup in New England, can be attributed to the fish’s many bones.

From New York Times • Aug. 20, 2021

Still, National Marine Fisheries Service’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center rates porgy, or scup, as not overfished; as of 2016, they say, “overfishing was not occurring.”

From Salon • Jul. 17, 2019

Both parents emigrated from Portugal; his father fished for squid, scup, bass and tuna, and from an early age enlisted George and his three brothers in his fishing expeditions.

From Washington Post • Feb. 18, 2019

Early in the day, for example, the Assembly dealt with a variety of aquatic-themed legislation, including bills to increase the regulatory authority of the Department of Environmental Conservation over conch, whelk, scup and flounder.

From New York Times • Jun. 17, 2015

The soles when they came proved to be nice little pan-fish, not unlike what in New England are called "scup."

From What Katy Did Next by Coolidge, Susan