skipjack (redirected from skipjacks)

skip·jack  (skpjk)

n. pl. skipjack or skip·jacks

1. Any of several marine food fishes of the genus Euthynnus, related to and resembling the tuna, especially an economically important striped species (E. pelamis) occurring in all tropical areas.

2. Any of various fishes, such as the bluefish, that habitually leap out of the water.

3. pl. skip·jacks Nautical A small sailboat having a bottom shaped like a flat V and vertical sides.

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skipjack [ˈskɪpˌdʒæk]

n pl -jack, -jacks

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) Also called skipjack tuna an important food fish, Katsuwonus pelamis, that has a striped abdomen and occurs in all tropical seas: family Scombridae (mackerels and tunas)

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals)

black skipjack a small spotted tuna, Euthynnus yaito, of Indo-Pacific seas

3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any of several other unrelated fishes, such as the alewife and bonito

4. (Transport / Nautical Terms) Nautical an American sloop used for oystering and as a yacht

5. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) another name for a click beetle

[from skip¹ + jack¹]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	skipjack - oceanic schooling tuna of considerable value in Pacific but less in Atlantic; reaches 75 pounds; very similar to if not the same as oceanic bonito Euthynnus pelamis, skipjack tuna scombroid, scombroid fish - important marine food and game fishes found in all tropical and temperate seas; some are at least partially endothermic and can thrive in colder waters Euthynnus, genus Euthynnus - a genus of Scombridae
	2.	skipjack - medium-sized tuna-like food fish of warm Atlantic and Pacific waters; less valued than tuna Atlantic bonito, Sarda sarda genus Sarda, Sarda - bonitos bonito - any of various scombroid fishes intermediate in size and characteristics between mackerels and tunas
	3.	skipjack - able to right itself when on its back by flipping into the air with a clicking sound click beetle, snapping beetle elater, elaterid, elaterid beetle - any of various widely distributed beetles