tilapia

noun

ti·​la·​pia tə-ˈlä-pē-ə How to pronounce tilapia (audio)
-ˈlā-
plural tilapia also tilapias
: any of numerous chiefly African freshwater cichlid fishes (genera Oreochromis, Tilapia, and Sarotherodon) often raised for food

Examples of tilapia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The American Heart Association encourages people to eat fish twice a week, and tilapia is an inexpensive option. Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 24 Feb. 2024 Any firm, white-fleshed fish will do for this recipe, including cod, tilapia, grouper, and more. Paige Grandjean, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2023 Many years ago, some of the farming practices for raising tilapia led consumer to avoid it, but the industry has since made changes. Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 24 Feb. 2024 Dinner combos include tilapia, cod, 8-piece shrimp, fish logs and beef BBQ. The Enquirer, 14 Feb. 2024 For those who don't want fried food, there is grilled salmon and tilapia. The Courier-Journal, 12 Feb. 2024 The glazed shrimp were sweet and hot with a nice snap, and the best part was the tender and slightly spicy tilapia. Linze Rice, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023 The fish ponds are no longer catch-and-release, the invasive tilapia that swim in them (and that guests catch) are now fed to rehabbed seals at a nearby animal sanctuary. Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 6 Nov. 2023 For those with a shellfish allergy, tilapia or snapper filets make a lovely substitute. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tilapia.' 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

New Latin, genus name

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tilapia was in 1849

Dictionary Entries Near tilapia

Cite this Entry

“Tilapia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tilapia. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on tilapia

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!