tuna

tuna — noun

1. a large saltwater fish with a rounded body and a tail shaped like a crescent moo

1.nounB1
Definition

a large saltwater fish with a rounded body and a tail shaped like a crescent moon, often caught for food and sport

Example

Sana spotted a huge tuna swimming near the fishing boat.

The fishermen measured and released the tuna they caught near Hawaii.

passive: be measured and released

Common collocations
  • school of tuna
  • tuna fishing
  • tuna boat
  • tuna season

Grammar Patterns

tuna / tunas (plural)

Usage Note

Frequently used as a plural without an -s ending (e.g. 'caught three tuna'), though tuna with an -s is also common. When the animal is meant, the noun is countable — unlike sense 2 (FOOD), where the meat is uncountable.

2. the cooked meat of a tuna fish, sold in cans or as fresh fillets and used in san

2.nounB1
Definition

the cooked meat of a tuna fish, sold in cans or as fresh fillets and used in sandwiches, salads, and cooked dishes

Example

Elena made a quick lunch with canned tuna and fresh lettuce.

collocation: canned tuna

The chef grilled a fresh tuna steak and served it with lemon.

collocation: tuna steak

Common collocations
  • canned tuna
  • tuna steak
  • tuna sandwich
  • tuna salad
  • tuna pasta
  • tuna fish

Usage Note

Uncountable when referring to the meat. To talk about a single portion, use a can of tuna, a tuna steak, or a piece of tuna rather than 'a tuna'.

Common Mistakes

I ate two tunas for dinner.
I ate two tuna steaks for dinner.
tuna as food is uncountable; use a portion word (can, steak, piece) to count servings.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Tuna, salmon, mackerel, and swordfish are all large fish commonly eaten by people, but they belong to different families and have distinct characteristics. Tuna has firm, dark-red meat and is the only one widely sold canned in water or oil. Salmon is pink-fleshed and has a higher fat content; it is often sold smoked or fresh rather than canned. Mackerel is a smaller, oilier fish with a stronger flavour, commonly canned or grilled. Swordfish is a very large fish with a meaty, steak-like texture and is almost always sold fresh or frozen. A typical example: 'I made a salad with canned tuna,' not 'canned salmon' or 'canned swordfish' — only tuna is commonly available canned in supermarkets.

salmon ↗mackerelswordfish

Common collocations

Nouns

  • tuna population
  • tuna species
  • tuna industry
  • tuna fishing

Phrases

  • a school of tuna
  • a can of tuna
  • fresh vs. canned tuna

Prepositions

  • of tuna

Etymology

GreekLatinArabicSpanishAmerican SpanishEnglish

The word tuna entered English in the late 1800s from American Spanish, which borrowed it from Spanish atún. Spanish atún traces back to Arabic tun (تون), which came from Latin thunnus, and ultimately from Greek θύννος (thynnos) — a word linked to θύνω (thynō), meaning 'to dart or rush,' in reference to the fish's fast swimming speed.