Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One of several different fishes, chiefly of the family Serranidæ.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.) A very large serranoid fish (Promicrops itaiara) of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. It often reaches the weight of five hundred pounds. Its color is olivaceous or yellowish, with numerous brown spots. Called also guasa, and warsaw.
  • noun A similar gigantic fish (Stereolepis gigas) of Southern California, valued as a food fish.
  • noun The black grouper of Florida and Texas.
  • noun A large herringlike fish; the tarpum.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any of many types of fish including the Japanese seabass.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun large important food fish of Australia; almost indistinguishable from the maigre
  • noun large dark grouper with a thick head and rough scales

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably Jew + fish (so called for unknown reasons).]

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Examples

  • Then up comes a great jewfish, which is just as likely to weigh five hundred pounds as fifty, and to be as large as a good-sized Shetland pony, and he makes a lunge for your bait, and --

    Around the World in Ten Days Chelsea Curtis Fraser

  • A mock radio jingle for the species of grouper formerly known as the "jewfish," containing the line: "Close your eyes and try to picture a great big friendly jewfish -- that is unless you're Jewish.

    Scrutinizing Hate Monger Glen Beck; "close-to-painful murdering of the dark people." 2009

  • Some have suggested it was a goliath grouper formerly known as jewfish.

    Think Progress » Sarah Palin calls global warming studies ‘snake oil science.’ 2010

  • The Yellow Sea has marked seasonal variations and supports both cold temperate species (eel-pout, cod, flatfish, Pacific herring) and warm water species (skates, gurnard, jewfish, small yellow croaker, spotted sardine, fleshy prawn, southern rough shrimp).

    Yellow Sea large marine ecosystem 2008

  • We moved around the rest of the morning, catching hardhead catfish (which Willcox unhooked with a long disgorger, to avoid the venomous spines in its dorsal and pectoral fins) and even a young goliath grouper, or jewfish (a protected species).

    A Keys Report: Fishing the Backcountry with Executive Editor Mike Toth 2006

  • Thus instantly turning it from what was useful information to meaningless political propaganda suitable only for wrapping the jewfish we powerheaded 25 fathoms below the oilrig this morning.

    Environmentalists really are whacky 2004

  • Thus instantly turning it from what was useful information to meaningless political propaganda suitable only for wrapping the jewfish we powerheaded 25 fathoms below the oilrig this morning.

    The Sudden Curve: 2004

  • Thus instantly turning it from what was useful information to meaningless political propaganda suitable only for wrapping the jewfish we powerheaded 25 fathoms below the oilrig this morning.

    Environmentalists really are whacky 2004

  • A jewfish, six feet long and easily three hundred pounds, his blotchy hide mimicking the sun-dappled rock, pouting lower lip thick as Anna's wrist, lay without moving beneath an overhang of a coral-covered rock less than half his size, his wee fish brain assuring him he was hidden.

    Excerpt: Flashback by Nevada Barr 2003

  • Order now before today's pussified, PADI-preaching prattlers warp you into taking "living reef eco-tours" when, instead, you could be going 30 fathoms deep and power-heading jewfish between the eyes.

    Hell Divers' Rodeo 2003

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