government bream

noun

: a highly esteemed food fish (Lutjanus sebae) dwelling on the bottom of tropical Australian seas and marked when young by an arrangement of scarlet bands resembling a broad arrow

Word History

Etymology

so called from the fact that its markings suggest the broad arrow placed on government materials by the British Board of Ordnance

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Dictionary Entries Near government bream

Cite this Entry

“Government bream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/government%20bream. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

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