tuna

¹

[too-nuh, tyoo-]

noun

plural

tuna ,

plural

tunas .

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.

tuna

²

[too-nuh, tyoo-]

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.

tuna

¹

/ 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

tuna

²

/ 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

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tuna¹

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

Origin of tuna²

C16: via Spanish from Taino

Example Sentences

"At any moment they could see us and think we're doing the same thing. Because sometimes we also go 60 miles or so out to sea, looking for tuna."

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Like tuna casseroles and they’re very into hearty, grandma type food.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Guests can charge their Teslas while getting ‘epic bacon’ and tuna melts carhopped to their vehicles, and other unique quirks we learned at the opening of Elon Musk’s new Tesla Diner in Hollywood.

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Sharna, who was hoping to purchase a potato filled with cheese, beans and tuna, remembers the first time she saw them on TikTok.

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He believes US forces can help weed out drugs from the 1.2 million tons of cargo a year that passes through Manta every year, including a large chunk of Ecuador's tuna exports.

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