tarpon

noun tar·pon \ ˈtär-pən \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

Definition of tarpon

plural tarpon or tarpons

: a large silvery elongate bony fish (Megalops atlanticus of the family Elopidae) that occurs especially in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and warm coastal waters of the Atlantic, reaches a length of about six feet (two meters), and is often caught for sport

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Recent Examples of tarpon from the Web

Bird-watch at Gasparilla Island State Park, paddleboard the Gulf of Mexico, fish for trophy tarpon, or day-trip to nearby Cayo Costa for nine miles of pristine sand.

— the editors, Outside Online, "North America's 16 Best, Most Overlooked Beaches," 1 June 2018
Snorkelers have seen a variety of creatures, including large barracuda and tarpon.

— bob rountree and bonnie gross, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Explore Florida's Monroe County: Florida Keys offers miles of snorkeling grandeur," 6 May 2018
Others are Big Poppa 6 and Big Poppa 8, saltwater popping lures for surface action to attract dorado, tarpon, redfish and more.

— john goodspeed, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio company hooks a winner with natural sounds in lures," 26 Apr. 2018
Saltwater fishing for tarpon, cobia, redfish and sea trout is also available in the spring and summer.

— Smithsonian, "Discover Palmetto Bluff’s great outdoors," 1 Apr. 2018
Charter a boat in the Tarpon Capital of the World Boca Grande Pass has long been considered the world’s best place to catch Atlantic tarpon.

— Smithsonian, "Discover more reasons to get away to The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel this fall.," 12 July 2017
Charter a boat in the Tarpon Capital of the World Boca Grande Pass has long been considered the world’s best place to catch Atlantic tarpon.

— Smithsonian, "Discover more reasons to get away to The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel this fall.," 12 July 2017
Florida fishermen out on a boat near Boca Grande spent 45 minutes trying to reel in an Atlantic tarpon, only to see three bull sharks swarm and destroy the fish in seconds.

— matt naham, ajc, "3 sharks attack tarpon as fisherman reels in catch," 17 June 2017
SOUTH FLORIDA INSHORE: There was a good tarpon bite earlier in the week around Keys bridges and channels and that should resume when the weather settles.

— steve waters, Sun-Sentinel.com, "South Florida fishing report: Snappers biting offshore," 8 June 2017

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