Muttonfish
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of several Atlantic and Caribbean fishes which are said to taste of mutton, especially a mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis), an ocean pout (Macrozoarces americanus), or an Irish pompano (Diapterus auratus). US
- 2 similar to and often marketed as ‘red snapper’ wordnet
- 3 Any of several edible molluscs of the genus Haliotis; an abalone. Australia
"Some mornings when the tide was right out we went onto the reef with screwdrivers to prise off abalone, which we called muttonfish."
Example
More examples"Some mornings when the tide was right out we went onto the reef with screwdrivers to prise off abalone, which we called muttonfish."
Etymology
From mutton + fish.
Related phrases
More for "muttonfish"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.