barramundi

noun

bar·​ra·​mun·​di ˌber-ə-ˈmən-dē 

ˌba-rə-

plural barramundi also barramundis

: a catadromous bony fish (Lates calcarifer of the family Latidae) with a greenish-bronze back and silvery sides that is found from the Persian Gulf to southern China and Australia and is valued as a sport and food fish

Examples of barramundi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Others are named not only for weather changes but animal and plant patterns as well as harvest traditions, such as barramundi and bush fruit time (damibila), build-up time (dalirrgang) and the speargrass, magpie goose egg and ‘knock ‘em down’ season (mayilema). —Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025

He was last seen wearing black shorts and a blue fishing shirt showing an image of a barramundi. —Escher Walcott, People.com, 8 Feb. 2025

The Restaurant emphasizes fresh fish, like Australian barramundi. —Janice Wald Henderson, Travel + Leisure, 23 Dec. 2024

Holland America Line’s passengers in the Mediterranean might be able to order fresh sardines or swordfish, for example, or in Australia, barramundi and Tasmanian ocean trout—all with the knowledge that they are certified as responsibly caught. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2024

Think prime porterhouse and Mishima Reserve filet mignon to Pacific barramundi bass and whole Maine lobster. —John Vorwald, Robb Report, 15 June 2024

Onboard meals include local fare like saltwater barramundi and grilled kangaroo fillet. —Cailey Rizzo, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2024

Which means Payne landed his big-money barramundi just two days before the competition closed. —Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 1 May 2024

Payne’s barramundi reportedly measured 26 inches in length. —Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 1 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps borrowed from an indigenous language of inland central Queensland, Australia

Note: According to R. M. W. Dixon, et al., Australian Aboriginal Words in English: Their Origin and Meaning, 2nd edition (Oxford University Press, 2006), "Said to be from a language spoken around the Dawson and Fitzroy Rivers, central Queensland; however, it has not been possible to confirm this from data available on languages of this region" (p. 90).

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above