Bombay duck

noun

1. a small lizardfish, Harpadon nehereus, inhabiting river mouths and estuaries of Asia.
2. (in India) the flesh of this fish, impregnated with asafetida, dried, salted, and used as a condiment or relish, especially with curry.

Bombay duck

noun

1. a teleost fish, Harpodon nehereus , that resembles and is related to the lizard fishes: family Harpodontidae . It is eaten dried with curry dishes as a savoury Also calledbummalo

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bombay duck¹

First recorded in 1665–75

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bombay duck¹

C19: changed from bombil (see bummalo ) through association with Bombay (now Mumbai), from which it was exported

Example Sentences

Other Parsi last names include Boomla, the Gujarati term for the Bombay duck, a slimy fish which has a dedicated fan following in the community, and Gotla, which is a fruit seed.

From BBC

Some of the city's best-loved dishes include meat and seafood: Persian-inspired lamb cutlets, aromatic chicken biryani and the pungent dried fish known as Bombay duck.

From Los Angeles Times

Bombay Duck, bred for speed, held the early lead, but as the stallions pounded down the backstretch, Avatar, a California mount, moved up to challenge.

From Time Magazine Archive

Instead, locals usually enjoy it with small, savory bites, like the meltingly tender fish known as Bombay duck, fried at the seafood restaurant Radhakrishna, or the cheese kabobs and spicy prawns at Cellar Door, a wine bar frequented by an increasing number of Europeans who visit Nashik to do business with the city's automobile- and airplane-manufacturing companies.

From Time Magazine Archive

“Maldive fish” seems to take the place of “Bombay duck” in these southern regions, and the number of Vegetable Curries is particularly noteworthy.

From Project Gutenberg