tilefish

[ tahyl-fish ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) tile·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) tile·fish·es.

1. a large, brilliantly colored food fish, Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps, of deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
2. any of several related fishes of the family Branchiostegidae.

tilefish

/ ˈtaɪlˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. a large brightly coloured deep-sea percoid food fish, Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps, of warm and tropical seas, esp the North American coast of the Atlantic: family Branchiostegidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of tilefish¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; tile + fish

Word History and Origins

Origin of tilefish¹

C19: from New Latin -tilus, ending of genus name Lopholatilus; perhaps also from a resemblance between its colours and patterning and ornamental tiles

Example Sentences

The pecan salsa matcha with the grilled tilefish sounds stupendous!

From Salon

A bountiful kale salad fits in Fuji apple, peanuts and miso; tilefish shows up on saffron-yellow rice freckled with fava beans.

From Washington Post

They included the south Atlantic Coast tilefish and the eastern Pacific Ocean yellowfin tuna.

From Seattle Times

“There’s nothing to hide behind,” says Essig of the classic, which she sometimes builds around tilefish.

From Washington Post

Seafood fraud is not just a concern for the restaurant diner who orders expensive, wild-caught red snapper, only to wind up with a plate of mercury-laden tilefish.

From Scientific American