tuna
1[ too-nuh, tyoo- ]
/ ˈtu nə, ˈtyu- /
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.
Nearby words
tumultuary, tumultuous, tumulus, tun, tun., tuna, tunable, tunbridge ware, tunbridge wells, tundish, tundra
Origin of tuna
11880–85, Americanism; < American Spanish, variant of Spanish atún < Arabic al the + tūn < Greek thýnnos tunny
Definition for tuna (2 of 2)
tuna
2[ too-nuh, tyoo- ]
/ ˈtu nə, ˈtyu- /
noun
any of various 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
21545–55; < Spanish < Taino
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for tuna
British Dictionary definitions for tuna (1 of 2)
tuna
1/ (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)
tuna
2/ (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
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