Lingcod

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of fish belonging to the cod family, typically found in the North Pacific Ocean and known for its firm, white flesh
2. A bottom-dwelling sea fish noted for its elongated body and distinctive coloring, often sought after by anglers for sport
3. A species of marine fish prized for its culinary quality, commonly inhabiting rocky reefs and coastal waters along the Pacific coast

Etymology: The name of this North Pacific fish is a compound of two older fish names, "ling" and "cod," and it is a little misleading. The lingcod is not a true ling, which belongs to a different family, nor is it a true cod. It belongs to its own family, Hexagrammidae, and is more closely related to greenlings than to either of the fish whose names it borrows. The name came about because the fish looked enough like its two namesakes to earn a half-share of each. Ling, a long, slender, bottom-dwelling fish of the North Atlantic, and cod, the heavy-bodied, white-fleshed fish of the same waters, were the familiar reference points. Early observers in the Pacific Northwest seem to have recognized a similar build and a similar mild, flaky flesh, and so joined the two names together.

Synonyms: ling cod, lingcod fish