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Added 9 October 2026

halibut

/ˈhæ.lɪ.bət/ noun

In Latin: hippoglōssus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about halibut at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Lean flesh of very large flatfish of Atlantic or Pacific.
Marine food fish of the northern Atlantic or northern Pacific; the largest flatfish and one of the largest teleost fishes.

Origin

From Middle English halibut, equivalent to holy + butt (“flatfish”), since the fish was often eaten on holy days. Cognate with Dutch heilbot, German Heiligbutt, Heilbutt, Heilbutte, Danish helleflynder, Swedish helgeflundra, and Norwegian Nynorsk hellefisk.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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