albacore

American  

[al-buh-kawr, -kohr] / ˈæl bəˌkɔr, -ˌkoʊr /

noun

albacore, plural albacores plural

1. a long-finned tuna, Thunnus alalunga, of warm or temperate seas, the flesh of which is valued for canning.

2. any of various tunalike fishes.

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albacore British  

/ ˈælbəˌkɔː /

noun

1. Also called: long-fin tunny.  a tunny, Thunnus alalunga, occurring mainly in warm regions of the Atlantic and Pacific. It has very long pectoral fins and is a valued food fish

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• albacore
  plural
• albacores
  plural

Etymology

Origin of albacore

1570–80; < Portuguese albacora ≪ North African Arabic al-bakūrah the tuna

Explanation

Albacore is a large tuna fish with a long, silver body, huge eyes, and oversized pectoral fins. As a food, albacore is also known as "white tuna." When it comes to canned tuna fish, albacore isn't the safest type to eat regularly; because it's so large, it contains a high level of mercury. The smaller skipjack is considered a healthier choice. A fully grown albacore weighs over 70 pounds, and it can be found in both tropical and temperate waters. Albacore comes from the Portuguese and has an Arabic root: al bakara, or "milk cow."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

albacore albacores

I’ll always prefer Mom’s barbecued chicken, fried chicken and French fries, but I have branched out, trying an array of new, relatively tamer foods, ranging from albacore tuna to zucchini.

From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026

Then I’m getting the lime roll, the albacore crispy onion, the garlic sashimi, and I’m going to keep ordering and ordering and be so happy.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026

Rolando Quisca, a local fisherman, also said the heat wave had benefited him, citing an unusual amount of albacore, a fish that lives in warmer waters.

From Reuters ● Aug. 7, 2023

“Some brands specialize in different parts of the tuna, such as the neck and bellies, or ventresca; others focus on canning a variety of species, from skipjack and bluefin to albacore or yellowfin,” he says.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 29, 2023

I picked up only a straggler from the albacore that were feeding.

From "The Old Man and The Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

While angling among the albacores, with the prospect of making a successful troll, they had thought less of it.

From The Ocean Waifs A Story of Adventure on Land and Sea by Reid, Mayne

The albacores no longer took any notice of the baited hooks; but, instead, commenced darting through the water in various directions, until they had got scattered about over the sea.

From The Ocean Waifs A Story of Adventure on Land and Sea by Reid, Mayne

Sure enough the behaviour of the albacores was very much altered, as Snowball had affirmed.

From The Ocean Waifs A Story of Adventure on Land and Sea by Reid, Mayne

With such a weapon it was probable that he might have succeeded in striking down one of the winged swimmers that, pursued by the bonitos and albacores, were still leaping over the raft.

From The Ocean Waifs A Story of Adventure on Land and Sea by Reid, Mayne

The only thing to chronicle to-day is the quantities of fish about; nine bonitos were caught this forenoon, and some large albacores seen.

From The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories by Twain, Mark