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tuna

1
[ too-nuh, tyoo- ]
/ ˈtu nə, ˈtyu- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR tuna ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural (especially collectively) tu·na, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) tu·nas.

any of several large food and game fishes of the family Scombridae, inhabiting temperate and tropical seas.Compare albacore, bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna.
any of various related fishes.
Also called tuna fish . the flesh of the tuna, used as food.

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Origin of tuna

1
1880–85, Americanism;<American Spanish, variant of Spanish atún<Arabic al the + tūn<Greek thýnnostunny

Words nearby tuna

tumult, tumultuary, tumultuous, tumulus, tun, tuna, tunable, Tunbridge ware, Tunbridge Wells, tundish, tundra

Definition for tuna (2 of 2)

tuna2
[ too-nuh, tyoo- ]
/ ˈtu nə, ˈtyu- /

noun

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.
the fruit of these plants.

Origin of tuna

2
First recorded in 1545–55; from Spanish, from Taíno
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to tuna

macho, manly, muscular, gallant, brave, bold, hardy, hunk, adult, stud, jock, male, ape, caveman, stallion, beefcake, courageous, hairy, honorable, mannish

Example sentences from the Web for tuna

British Dictionary definitions for tuna (1 of 2)

tuna1
/ (ˈtjuːnə) /

noun plural -na or -nas

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
any of various similar and related fishes

Word Origin for tuna

C20: from American Spanish, from Spanish atún, from Arabic tūn, from Latin thunnus tunny, from Greek

British Dictionary definitions for tuna (2 of 2)

tuna2
/ (ˈtjuːnə) /

noun

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

Word Origin for tuna

C16: via Spanish from Taino
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