Redfish

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A species of fish characterized by a reddish hue is often found in warmer marine environments
2. A collective name for multiple varieties within the Sebastes genus, popular in fisheries worldwide
3. A type of fish notable for its red coloration typically living in coastal and warm waters ; several species known collectively for their reddish appearance belong to a genus commonly caught by fishermen

Etymology: Redfish is one of those names where the parts say almost everything. "Red" and "fish" are both ordinary English words, and the compound simply names a fish by its colour. The name is applied to several unrelated species, most of them reddish ocean fish, so it works as a general label rather than the name of one particular kind. That is why a single fish might be called a redfish in one region and something quite different elsewhere. The "red" element is the older and more familiar half: it comes from Old English "rēad," which has always meant the colour. "Fish" likewise goes back to Old English "fisc," so the compound is native English material throughout, with no borrowing from another language. Its formation follows the common English pattern of putting a descriptive adjective in front of a noun to name a kind of thing, much like "redwood" or "redbreast."

Synonyms: snapper, red drum, sea bass