bonito

bo·ni·to

noun \bə-ˈnē-(ˌ)tō, -ˈnē-tə\

plural bo·ni·tos or bo·ni·to

Definition of BONITO

: any of several scombroid fishes (especially genera Sarda and Euthynnus) intermediate between the smaller mackerels and the larger tunas

Origin of BONITO

Spanish, from bonito pretty, diminutive of bueno good, from Latin bonus

First Known Use: 1565

Rhymes with BONITO

casita, excreta, fajita, gordita, Lolita, partita

bonito

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Swift, predaceous schooling fishes (genus Sarda) of the mackerel family (Scombridae). Bonitos, found worldwide, have a striped back and silvery belly and grow to about 30 in. (75 cm) long. Like tunas, they are streamlined, with a narrow tail base, a forked tail, and a row of small finlets behind the dorsal and anal fins. Bonitos have both commercial and sporting value. The three generally recognized species are found in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the Indo-Pacific, and the Pacific.