halibut

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

|Updated on: 14 Jun 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

Anchovies and white wine can sauce a fillet of halibut.

— alex van buren, Health.com, "The $2 Ingredient That Will Make Your Chicken Taste So Much More Flavorful," 6 June 2018
But this soft-spoken dish lacked the kind of bold impact of Cadence’s other halibut dish, a grilled collar of fish wrapped in crispy skin over fennel.

— craig laban, Philly.com, "At Cadence, bold new culinary talents cook with the seasons," 1 June 2018
In San Francisco Bay, halibut are roaring in from the ocean and striped bass from the delta, both on a mission to feast on new arrivals of anchovies and provide a great start to the summer fishing season.

— tom stienstra, San Francisco Chronicle, "Summer arrives: Light the fuse and stand back," 31 May 2018
The halibut is brined briefly in salt water, which seasons it all the way through.

— Bon Appetit, "Pan-Roasted Halibut with Herbed Corona Beans," 19 Mar. 2018
Also good: mackerel, halibut, sardines, tuna, shrimp and scallops.

— allison horton, miamiherald, "Want to reduce your odds of getting cancer? Stay active, lose weight and eat healthy | Miami Herald," 25 May 2018
Every summer, the beaches bristle with dip nets, rods and reels; Alaskans come to fill their freezers, and guides lead guests on quests for fat king and silver salmon or Cook Inlet halibut.

— kirsten swann, Anchorage Daily News, "Kenai Peninsula offers world-class fishing, quirky arts scene and much in between," 3 May 2018
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission met Friday in Astoria and finalized rules for 2018 salmon and halibut seasons and 2018-19 waterfowl and upland bird seasons.

— bill monroe, OregonLive.com, "Summer ocean fishing, fall hunting seasons set for Oregon," 20 Apr. 2018
Eat this instead Among the recommendations for shark alternatives are Pacific halibut and Atlantic mackerel.

— rachel clark, Good Housekeeping, "12 Fish You Should Never Eat—And What To Eat Instead," 12 July 2017

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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