tuna

1 of 2

noun (1)

plural tuna or tunas
1
: any of various large vigorous scombroid fishes (as of the genera Euthynnus, Katsuwonus, and especially Thunnus) that are usually dark above and silvery below and include many that are valued as food or sport fishes see albacore, bigeye tuna, bluefin tuna, dogtooth tuna, little tunny, skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna
2
: the flesh of a tuna used for food
grilled tuna
specifically, sometimes tuna fish : tuna flesh that has been cooked and canned
often used before another noun
tuna salad
a tuna fish sandwich

tuna

2 of 2

noun (2)

tu·​na ˈtü-nə How to pronounce tuna (audio)
1
: any of various flat-jointed prickly pears (genus Opuntia)
especially : one (O. tuna) of tropical America
2
: the edible fruit of a tuna

Examples of tuna in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
With egg, tuna or chicken salad, Sharp likes to mix mayo and mashed avocado. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024 The violations ranged from nine- and 10-day old tuna salad, salsa and tzatziki stored in coolers throughout one restaurant to cooked chicken and cooked potato left out of a cooler for more than seven hours at another. Michael Braga, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 The menu features 200-plus seafood items, including halibut, salmon, sushi-grade tuna, prawns, lobster and Dungeness crab — much of it caught by the restaurant’s own fishing fleet. Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 My mom cooked for me all the time, usually dinners such as tuna casserole, meat loaf, and taco salad. Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 7 Mar. 2024 The spinoff focuses on tuna fishermen based in the Outer Banks who fish for the Atlantic bluefin tuna off the coast of North Carolina. Rebekah Riess, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Now, after a long pandemic closure followed by an even longer renovation process, Mini Gourmet is back in the business of omelettes, pancakes, tuna melts, burgers, homemade soup and other comfort food. Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 The tuna and hamachi tartare with dashi creme fraiche and Kaspia Royal Oscietra Caviar is the height of indulgence. Paula Conway, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The hot course section features dry aged tuna with peppered demi-glace, chive, smoked olive oil, sun choke puree and lemon balm. Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tuna.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

American Spanish, alteration of Spanish atún, modification of Arabic tūn, from Latin thunnus, from Greek thynnos

Noun (2)

Spanish, from Taino

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tuna was circa 1555

Dictionary Entries Near tuna

Cite this Entry

“Tuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tuna. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tuna

noun
tu·​na
ˈt(y)ü-nə
plural tuna or tunas
1
: any of several mostly large sea fishes (as an albacore or bonito) related to the mackerels and caught for food and sport
2
: the flesh of a tuna especially when canned for use as food

called also tuna fish

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