halibut

noun hal·i·but \ ˈha-lə-bət also ˈhä- \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Definition of halibut

plural halibut also halibuts

: any of several marine flatfishes (especially Hippoglossus hippoglossus of the Atlantic and H. stenolepis of the Pacific) that are widely used for food and include some of the largest bony fishes

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Recent Examples of halibut from the Web

Over Memorial Day weekend, a Washington state man caught a roughly 7-foot halibut in the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the northwestern part of the state.

— madeline farber, Fox News, "Washington man catches nearly 7-foot halibut: 'It was bigger than a folding table'," 6 June 2018
On Monday, the pot winner was Zach VanDoren of Mill Valley with a 22-pound halibut, caught on the Berkeley flats.

— tom stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle, "Summer arrives: Light the fuse and stand back," 31 May 2018
Incidental catches of Pacific halibut and lingcod were released unharmed.

— sacbee, "Fishing line: Sacramento River sees plenty of stripers and shad | The Sacramento Bee," 30 Apr. 2018
On the entree side, our salmon and halibut are very popular and so is our pork chop.

— bruce ingram, chicagotribune.com, "Guide to outdoor dining in Chicago suburbs: The Harp and Fiddle in Park Ridge," 5 July 2018
The meltingly juicy chunks of skewered halibut for dinner, marinated in cuminy yogurt for hours and dusted with the tangy black powder of grated dried Omani limes, were a revelation.

— craig laban, Philly.com, "Fishtown's Suraya is one of the most exciting new dining destinations of the year," 22 June 2018
The toil required to produce this food to their standards vanishes behind the scenes, leaving the guest free to appreciate the apparently simple delights of fried oysters on butter lettuce or whole roasted halibut tails.

— ali bouzari, SFChronicle.com, "Housemade: The magic of Liholiho Yacht Club," 22 June 2018
After an icy session in a five- or six-millimeter wetsuit, warm up over buttered rum and fresh halibut at Glacier Bear Lodge (from $145).

— the editors, Outside Online, "North America's 16 Best, Most Overlooked Beaches," 1 June 2018
At ZuZu, a four-course prix fixe menu ($55) will be served from 4 to 9 p.m., with options like slow-braised short ribs and Alaskan halibut.

— georgann yara, azcentral, "50-plus restaurants for Mother’s Day brunch, dinner and deals in Phoenix," 7 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'halibut.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Among the different kinds of fish found in the world’s oceans is a group called the flatfish. Flatfish are well named, for they have flattened bodies with both eyes on the upper side of the head. In Middle English the word for flatfish was butte. During the Middle Ages, fish was often eaten on holy days in place of meat. The most popular fish for the holy days was the largest variety of flatfish, or “butte.” Thus, this particular fish came to be called in Middle English halybutte, meaning literally “holy flatfish,” from haly, a form of holy, and butte. In modern English the spelling has been changed to halibut.

Origin and Etymology of halibut

Middle English halybutte, from haly, holy holy + butte flatfish, from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German but; from its being eaten on holy days

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First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

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