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