Meanings
plural jewfishes
- Any of several fish species, principally groupers and similar-appearing fish
- Epinephelus itajara (Atlantic goliath grouper, spotted jewfish)
- Johnius australis (bottlenose jewfish)
- Lateolabrax japonicus (Japanese seabass)
- Argyrosomus japonicus (silver jewfish, also known as the mulloway jewfish in eastern Australia)
- Tandanus tandanus (eel-tailed catfish, freshwater jewfish, dewfish)
- Glaucosoma hebraicum (West Australian dhufish, Westralian jewfish, western jewfish)
- Glaucosoma buergeri (Westralian jewfish)
- Stereolepis gigas (black jewfish, Pacific jewfish)
Synonyms & antonyms
nounlarge important food fish of Australia; almost indistinguishable from the maigre
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
For Australian fish such as Argyrosomus species, jewel and fish; see jewie. For New World species, from 17th century Jamaican English and refers to the kosher status of the Atlantic goliath grouper from at least 1697 onwards, likely as a derogatory term despite Jamaican Jews being treated better in the rule of the English than the Spanish rule.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian каменен костур
- каменен костур (kamenen kostur)any of many types of fish including the Japanese seabass
Japanese スズキ
- スズキ (suzuki)any of many types of fish including the Japanese seabass
Portuguese mero
- meroany of many types of fish including the Japanese seabass
Cite this entry
jewfish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jewfish
“jewfish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jewfish. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “jewfish,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jewfish.
Source: jewfish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.