yellowtail

American  

[yel-oh-teyl] / ˈjɛl oʊˌteɪl /

noun

• yellowtails,
  plural
• yellowtail
  plural

1. a game fish, Seriola lalandei, of California.

2. Also called yellowtail snapper.  a small West Indian snapper, Ocyurus chrysurus.

3. yellowtail flounder.

4. any of several other fishes with a yellow caudal fin.

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yellowtail British  

/ ˈjɛləʊˌteɪl /

noun

1. a carangid game fish, Seriola dorsalis, of coastal waters of S California and Mexico, having a yellow tail fin

2. any of various similar fishes

3. Also called: yellowtail moth.  any of various similar fishes Another name for goldtail moth

4. another word for yellowtail kingfish

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• yellowtail
  plural
• yellowtails
  plural

Etymology

Origin of yellowtail

First recorded in 1600–10; yellow + tail ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

yellowtail yellowtails

We especially enjoyed the empanadas criollas, beef with olives and raisins and deboned whole-fried yellowtail, served with Haitian pikliz, a pickled vegetable condiment, and Guasacaca, a Venezuelan avocado salsa.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026

I love all the sushi — the halibut, the red snapper, the spicy yellowtail and the carpaccios.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2026

A type of yellowtail, I watched the fish flash streaks of silver when the sun hit just right below the water’s surface.

From National Geographic ● Sep. 6, 2023

Workers will come in at 4 a.m. to grab items like yellowtail from the freezer.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 25, 2023

At the sushi bar the young, handsome chef automatically served me a piece of yellowtail.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

For probing well behind the yellowtail schools and near bottom, where the biggest yellowtails lurk, try a 1/16-ounce yellow Pee Wee jig made by Capt.

From Time Magazine Archive

Suddenly they swam right into a big school of fishes, all yellowtails and of very large size.

From The Sea Fairies by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum

And the birds were of many kinds, too: robins, thrushes, bullfinches, mocking-birds, wrens, yellowtails and skylarks.

From Twinkle and Chubbins Their Astonishing Adventures in Nature-Fairyland by L. Frank (Lyman Frank) Baum