skipjack

noun

skip·​jack ˈskip-ˌjak How to pronounce skipjack (audio)
plural skipjacks or skipjack
1
: any of various fishes (such as a ladyfish or bluefish) that jump above or are active at the surface of the water
especially : skipjack tuna
2
: a sailboat with vertical sides and a bottom similar to a flat V

Examples of skipjack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Story continues below advertisement Fifteen skipjacks now dredge for those oysters on the Chesapeake. William Neff, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2023 Neither the skipjacks nor their harvest probably will ever return to the numbers of their heyday. William Neff, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2023 Albacore tuna can reach weights upwards of 50 pounds, while skipjack and blackfins rarely exceed 30 pounds. Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 23 Aug. 2023 However, skipjack is darker and oilier than other tunas, giving it a stronger flavor more akin to mackerel which many people don’t enjoy. Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 23 Aug. 2023 His assignment that day takes him aboard the Wilma Lee, a skipjack that belongs to the Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park. Alex Mann, Anchorage Daily News, 25 June 2023 Catching the bait is great fun in itself, with a feeding frenzy on the surface, as the skipjack and bonito corral tiny minnows and drive them to the surface of the water, and the birds swirl around them overheard. David Halberstam, Town & Country, 15 June 2023 Other popular chunk bait includes skipjack herring and bluegill. Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 14 June 2023 The striper bite has tapered off, but catfish are still dependable on cut skipjack or shad at 12 to 15 feet, Collins says; www.markcollinsguideservice.com. Frank Sargeant, al, 17 Sep. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skipjack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of skipjack was in 1703

Dictionary Entries Near skipjack

Cite this Entry

“Skipjack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skipjack. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

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