tuna

¹ American  

[too-nuh, tyoo-] / ˈtu nə, ˈtju- /

noun

tuna, plural tunas plural

1. any of several large food and game fishes of the family Scombridae, inhabiting temperate and tropical seas.

2. any of various related fishes.

3. Also called tuna fish.  the flesh of the tuna, used as food.

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tuna ² American  

[too-nuh, tyoo-] / ˈtu nə, ˈtju- /

noun

1. any of various prickly pears, prickly pears, especially either of two erect, treelike species, Opuntia tuna or O. ficus-indica, of Mexico, bearing a sweet, edible fruit.

2. the fruit of these plants.

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tuna ¹ British  

/ ˈtjuːnə /

noun

1. Also called: tunny.  any of various large marine spiny-finned fishes of the genus Thunnus , esp T. thynnus , chiefly of warm waters: family Scombridae . They have a spindle-shaped body and widely forked tail, and are important food fishes

2. any of various similar and related fishes

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tuna ² British  

/ ˈtjuːnə /

noun

1. any of various tropical American prickly pear cacti, esp Opuntia tuna , that are cultivated for their sweet edible fruits

2. the fruit of any of these cacti

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tuna
  plural
• tunas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tuna¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1880–85; from Spanish (California), variant of Spanish atún, from Arabic al “the” + tūn, from Greek thýnnos tunny

Origin of tuna²

First recorded in 1545–55; from Spanish, from Taíno

Explanation

A tuna is a large saltwater fish. The weight of a tuna varies enormously, from four pounds to more than 1,500 pounds! It's common to refer to the kind of tuna that's sold as food in cans as "tuna fish." If you're mainly familiar with the tuna on your tuna fish sandwich, you might be surprised to learn that the Atlantic bluefin tuna lives to be about 50 years old, and can measure almost seven feet long. The word tuna comes from the Arabic root tun via the Spanish atún.

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

It had been a productive two weeks for La Negra Francisca Duarte II, which was returning to port with 3 tons of precious catch — mostly tuna, swordfish, marlin and shark.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

Mottainai also recently started a plant-based tuna project.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Chicken salad, tuna salad, pasta salad, potato salad — any of the vaguely retro, mayo-bound “salads” that aren’t really about lettuce at all — benefit from pickle juice.

From Salon • May 28, 2026

In addition to the cord, I had found some cans of tuna and sardines in the kitchen.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson