leatherjacket

[ leth-er-jak-it ]

noun

1. Also called leather jack. any of several carangid fishes having narrow, linear scales embedded in the skin at various angles, especially Oligoplites saurus, found in tropical American waters.
2. Australian. a pancake or other dough fried over a campfire.
3. the grub of the crane fly.

leatherjacket

/ ˈlɛðəˌdʒækɪt /

noun

1. any of various tropical carangid fishes of the genera Oligoplites and Scomberoides, having a leathery skin
2. any of various brightly coloured tropical triggerfishes of the genus Monacanthus and related genera
3. the greyish-brown tough-skinned larva of certain craneflies, esp of the genus Tipula, which destroy the roots of grasses, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of leatherjacket¹

First recorded in 1760–70; leather + jacket

Example Sentences

The familiar starling and the crane fly, which resembles a large mosquito and is also known as the leatherjacket, are introduced species.

From New York Times

“Hey, look at this sponge crab,” ”I got a sea urchin,” ”There’s a leatherjacket; no, it’s an Atlantic bumper,” ”Wow, a filefish,” ”That’s a lane snapper,” ”What kind of snapper?”

From Washington Times

And none of it will stop the real culprit, which, it turns out, is the cockchafer and leatherjacket grubs, which bury their larvae under the grass.

From The Guardian