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

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

Whatever happens, he is making plans to supplement his income by traveling to Oregon and Washington this summer to fish for albacore tuna.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2024

Products like albacore tuna and spot prawn can come from Vancouver, B.C.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 25, 2023

"It's unusual because it's been years and years since we've seen this amount of albacore," Quisca said.

From Reuters • Aug. 7, 2023

Today I’ll work out where the schools of bonito and albacore are and maybe there will be a big one with them.

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