tripletail

noun

tri·​ple·​tail ˈtri-pəl-ˌtāl How to pronounce tripletail (audio)
: a large marine bony fish (Lobotes surinamensis of the family Lobotidae) of warm and tropical waters that has long dorsal and anal fins which extend backward and together with the caudal fin appear like a 3-lobed tail

Examples of tripletail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Seasoned fishermen know that any object seen floating in inshore or offshore waters, a cardboard box to a log, is likely to harbor a tripletail. Ben Raines | Braines@al.com, AL.com, 24 July 2017 Brian Sanders of Davie guided Frank Galluzzo of Plantation and his son Matt to four keeper tripletails and a 30-pound goliath grouper on 20-pound braided line. Steve Waters, Sun-Sentinel.com, 18 July 2017

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1803, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tripletail was circa 1803

Dictionary Entries Near tripletail

Cite this Entry

“Tripletail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tripletail. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on tripletail

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!