seafood
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of seafood
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40
Explanation
Seafood refers to water-dwelling animals that people kill and eat, such as fish, shrimp, or even octopuses. Seafood is not what happens to your friend if you open your mouth while you’re chewing. Do you enjoy fish and chips? Fried clams? Tuna fish sandwiches? All of these qualify as seafood. It was once fairly common to think of larger sea creatures including whales and dolphins as seafood too, although fewer people eat these animals today. The term seafood can also be used for fish that live in lakes and rivers, rather than oceans; and edible seaweeds like kelp.
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.
The Grill is amazing for perfectly cooked steak, seafood and classic cocktails.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Industry figures reposted by seafood market intelligence platform Undercurrent suggest wholesale Chilean jack mackerel costs roughly one-third as much as Atlantic mackerel.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
The list also reaches into the everyday commerce that binds the two economies, including cheese, seafood and cosmetics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The rest of the menu runs the seafood gamut, from grilled whole branzino to New England seafood sauté, along with a smaller selection of steaks.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
He learns that one does not grate Parmesan cheese over pasta dishes containing seafood.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
