snapper

[ snap-er ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) snap·per, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) snap·pers snap·pers

1. any of several large marine food fishes of the family Lutjanidae.
2. any of various other fishes, as the bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix.
3. snapping turtle.
4. Informal. a person in charge of a group of workers.
5. a tuft or knot of cotton, horsehair, hemp, etc., at the tip of a whip's lash; cracker; popper.

snapper

/ ˈsnæpə /

noun

1. any large sharp-toothed percoid food fish of the family Lutjanidae of warm and tropical coastal regions See also red snapper
2. a sparid food fish, Chrysophrys auratus, of Australia and New Zealand, that has a pinkish body covered with blue spots
3. another name for bluefish snapping turtle
4. a person or thing that snaps
5. informal.
   a person who takes snapshots; photographer
6. informal.
   a baby

Word History and Origins

Origin of snapper¹

First recorded in 1525–35; snap + -er ¹

Example Sentences

A factor to watch: Minnesota’s kicker and long snapper were injured last week.

From Los Angeles Times

Although red snapper is faring poorly in the wild, replacing it with tilapia is not helping snapper conservation.

From Salon

Instead it provides an illusion of snapper abundance.

From Salon

Snapper could refer to 96 different species, tuna to 14, cod to two.

From Salon

Several examples of mislabelling involved substituting an expensive product for a cheaper species: tilapia for snapper, rainbow trout for Atlantic salmon.

From Salon

Related Words

• tortoise