butterfish
noun
but·ter·fish
ˈbə-tər-ˌfish 
: any of numerous bony fishes (especially family Stromateidae) with a slippery coating of mucus
Examples of butterfish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Seafood dishes, such as lobster tail or butterfish, are a foolproof option, but so is steak (of which there are options).
—
Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 7 June 2025
The zoo’s five gray seals are fed herring, butterfish, capelin, mackerel and squid.
—Lee Powell, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
Made to mimic local Rhode Island baitfish, such as butterfish, sand eels, tinker mackerel, and peanut bunker, Point Judes have an enticing action aided by a keel running down the length of the lure.
—Jimmy Fee, Field & Stream, 13 Sep. 2023
Additional seasonal specials and libations for Mother’s Day include old-fashioned cedar plank salmon, Rockefeller butterfish, carrot lava cake and a crushed pineapple martini.
—The Courier-Journal, 8 May 2023
Honolulu’s Polynesian food, such as poi (a thick paste made from the taro root), lau lau (pork and butterfish wrapped in taro leaves and baked), poké (raw cubed fish) and shaved ice (frequently drizzled with fruit syrup) are always in demand.
—Laura Manske, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2022
With less traditional fare available, adult seabirds were forced to feed their chicks butterfish, which can be too girthy to fit into young seabirds’ mouths, meaning many choked or starved.
—Dharna Noor, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Oct. 2022
With less availability of their traditional food, the seabirds have been forced to feed their chicks butterfish, which can be too large to fit in their tiny mouths.
—David Abel, BostonGlobe.com, 29 July 2022
Dad will also enjoy these seasonal dishes, shrimp skewers, Rockefeller butterfish, Baja scallops and shrimp scampi pasta, carrot lava cake and strawberry citrus martini.
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 13 June 2022
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 7 June 2025
The zoo’s five gray seals are fed herring, butterfish, capelin, mackerel and squid.
—Lee Powell, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
Made to mimic local Rhode Island baitfish, such as butterfish, sand eels, tinker mackerel, and peanut bunker, Point Judes have an enticing action aided by a keel running down the length of the lure.
—Jimmy Fee, Field & Stream, 13 Sep. 2023
Additional seasonal specials and libations for Mother’s Day include old-fashioned cedar plank salmon, Rockefeller butterfish, carrot lava cake and a crushed pineapple martini.
—The Courier-Journal, 8 May 2023
Honolulu’s Polynesian food, such as poi (a thick paste made from the taro root), lau lau (pork and butterfish wrapped in taro leaves and baked), poké (raw cubed fish) and shaved ice (frequently drizzled with fruit syrup) are always in demand.
—Laura Manske, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2022
With less traditional fare available, adult seabirds were forced to feed their chicks butterfish, which can be too girthy to fit into young seabirds’ mouths, meaning many choked or starved.
—Dharna Noor, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Oct. 2022
With less availability of their traditional food, the seabirds have been forced to feed their chicks butterfish, which can be too large to fit in their tiny mouths.
—David Abel, BostonGlobe.com, 29 July 2022
Dad will also enjoy these seasonal dishes, shrimp skewers, Rockefeller butterfish, Baja scallops and shrimp scampi pasta, carrot lava cake and strawberry citrus martini.
—Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 13 June 2022
Cite this Entry
“Butterfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butterfish. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
butterfish
noun
but·ter·fish
-ˌfish
: any of numerous fishes with a slippery coating of mucus
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share