opah

noun

ˈō-pə How to pronounce opah (audio)
-ˌpä
: a large elliptical laterally compressed marine bony fish (Lampris guttatus of the family Lampridae) with brilliant colors

Examples of opah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This opah was caught during an NOAA Fisheries survey off the California coast. Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 15 May 2015 After dissecting the opah, samples will be studied further. Paulina Firozi, Anchorage Daily News, 19 July 2021 In 2009, a fisherman caught a 97-pound opah while plying the mouth of the Columbia River just north of Seaside, reports Jamie Hale of the Oregonian. Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 July 2021 The Seaside Aquarium retrieved the opah’s virtually undamaged body and placed it in a freezer for preservation. Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 July 2021 Dewar said biologists are still developing methods to determine how old the opah are. Paulina Firozi, Anchorage Daily News, 19 July 2021 The opah is being stored in a large freezer, Chandler said. Amanda Jackson, CNN, 19 July 2021 In 2009, a Milwaukie man caught a 97-pound opah while fishing for tuna off the mouth of the Columbia River. oregonlive, 15 July 2021 As if catching one opah in Ocean City wasn't enough, Ensor caught a second one, weighing 159.6 pounds, in early December. Erika Butler, The Aegis, 23 Dec. 2017

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Ibo úbà

First Known Use

1750, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of opah was in 1750

Dictionary Entries Near opah

Cite this Entry

“Opah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opah. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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