tarpon

noun

tar·​pon ˈtär-pən How to pronounce tarpon (audio)
plural tarpon or tarpons
: a large silvery elongate bony fish (Megalops atlanticus of the family Megalopidae) that occurs especially in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and warm coastal waters of the Atlantic, reaches a length of about six feet (two meters), and is often caught for sport

Examples of tarpon 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.
Blue Hole even provides a home for some salt-water fish, such as tarpon and needlefish, which arrived thanks to flooding during Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and Hurricane Irma in 2017. Don’t feed the animals Even with all the other attractions, the Key deer remains king here. Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 16 Jan. 2025 Come for the daily tarpon feeding at 5 p.m., and stick around as the space swells with sailors for a legendary happy hour that has made the spot a fixture since the 1960s. Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2024 Years of poling clients to victory in his skiff kept his schedule booked nearly every day with anglers wanting to catch one of the Keys’ cherished sportfish — bonefish, permit or tarpon. Patrick Farrell, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2024 The monster threw himself into the air with the power of a tarpon and the speed of a rainbow trout. Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 27 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for tarpon 

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1685, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tarpon was in 1685

Dictionary Entries Near tarpon

Cite this Entry

“Tarpon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tarpon. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

tarpon

noun
tar·​pon ˈtär-pən How to pronounce tarpon (audio)
plural tarpon or tarpons
: a large silvery sport fish found in the Gulf of Mexico and warm coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean

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