bonito

noun

bo·​ni·​to bə-ˈnē-(ˌ)tō  -ˈnē-tə 

plural bonitos or bonito

1

: any of several swift-swimming scombroid fishes (genus Sarda) that are typically dark blue to bluish-green with dark stripes and a silvery belly, that are intermediate in size between the related mackerel and tuna, and that are valued as food and sport fishes

… the Atlantic bonito not only strikes hard …, the fish is also excellent table fare.

—Star-News (Wilmington, North Carolina)

Pacific bonito are related to tuna and can grow to 20 pounds.

—Allen Bushnell

also : a closely related fish (such as a dogtooth tuna or little tunny)

2

: skipjack tuna

For tuna—bluefin … and bonito—the fishermen … would drag a net between two boats …

—Mark Kurlansky

My mother adopted the habit of offering as a condiment dried bonito flakes …

—Corby Kummer

Examples of bonito in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Danny is the only chef to brine his fish before boiling it, which turns out to be a very smart move to pack it with flavor; his sofrito boil with salsa verde, carrot slaw, and french bean and bonito mayo salad is a big hit. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 22 May 2024

Fresh sea urchin and a delicious fava dip of split peas, bonito, and capers followed it. —Jessica Vadillo, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2024

The fish boils were off to a hot start with Danny’s dish, a sofrito boil with salsa verde, carrot slaw and a French bean and bonito salad. —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 22 May 2024

Here, chunky golden nuggets of silken tofu are coated in corn scratch and lightly fried before being placed in a shallow pool of broth made from dashi, soy sauce and sweet mirin then topped with bonito flakes, spicy radish sprouts and ginger. —Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 16 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bonito

noun

bo·​ni·​to bə-ˈnēt-ō 

-ˈnēt-ə

plural bonitos or bonito

: any of various medium-sized tunas