tuna

¹ American  

[too-nuh, tyoo-] / ˈtu nə, ˈtju- /

noun

tuna, plural tunas plural

1. any of several large food and game fishes of the family Scombridae, inhabiting temperate and tropical seas.

2. any of various related fishes.

3. Also called tuna fish.  the flesh of the tuna, used as food.

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tuna ² American  

[too-nuh, tyoo-] / ˈtu nə, ˈtju- /

noun

1. any of various prickly pears, prickly pears, especially either of two erect, treelike species, Opuntia tuna or O. ficus-indica, of Mexico, bearing a sweet, edible fruit.

2. the fruit of these plants.

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tuna ¹ British  

/ ˈtjuːnə /

noun

1. Also called: tunny.  any of various large marine spiny-finned fishes of the genus Thunnus , esp T. thynnus , chiefly of warm waters: family Scombridae . They have a spindle-shaped body and widely forked tail, and are important food fishes

2. any of various similar and related fishes

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tuna ² British  

/ ˈtjuːnə /

noun

1. any of various tropical American prickly pear cacti, esp Opuntia tuna , that are cultivated for their sweet edible fruits

2. the fruit of any of these cacti

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tuna
  plural
• tunas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tuna¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1880–85; from Spanish (California), variant of Spanish atún, from Arabic al “the” + tūn, from Greek thýnnos tunny

Origin of tuna²

First recorded in 1545–55; from Spanish, from Taíno

Explanation

A tuna is a large saltwater fish. The weight of a tuna varies enormously, from four pounds to more than 1,500 pounds! It's common to refer to the kind of tuna that's sold as food in cans as "tuna fish." If you're mainly familiar with the tuna on your tuna fish sandwich, you might be surprised to learn that the Atlantic bluefin tuna lives to be about 50 years old, and can measure almost seven feet long. The word tuna comes from the Arabic root tun via the Spanish atún.

Example Sentences

In Dorset, Jon operates a couple of those premises as well as working on a tuna fishing boat.

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2026

And it might also be time to turn to some lighter fish, such as tuna, salmon or prawns.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026

My second twist might incite even more gasps: Instead of tuna, bake a handsome fillet of Steelhead trout.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026

I order cured tuna two ways – mojama, salt-cured and firm like jamón, and atún ahumado, smoked, like lox but bolder.

From Salon • Jun. 23, 2026

Tell the old man I’m headed out to the tuna fishing grounds and he’ll rope me to a chair and call my dad, or worse.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick