Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Either of two large marine game fishes, Megalops cyprinoides of the Pacific and Indian Oceans or M. atlanticus of Atlantic coastal waters, having a bluish-green back and silvery sides.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A large game-fish of the family Elopidæ and subfamily Megalopinæ (which see), specifically Megalops atlanticus, also called jewfish.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.) Same as tarpum.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any of several fishes of the family Elopidae or Megalopidae, especially a large silvery game fish.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun large silvery game fish of warm Atlantic coastal waters especially off Florida

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Origin unknown.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Compare Dutch tarpoen. Suggestions that the term derives from a Native American term are unlikely.

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Examples

  • For example, it probably does no damage to a 10 - or 15-pound snook or barracuda, but a 100-pound tarpon is another matter.

    The Fine Art of Gaffing 1999

  • Using DNA is a cost-effective, less-invasive way to tag tarpon, and unlike conventional tags, it lasts forever.

    unknown title 2009

  • Yes | No | Report from joey wrote 1 year 9 weeks ago haha, i don't turn my nose up at permit, i like to fish for them. i just think 'permit fever' is all psychological, something generated from the pages of magazines. they are a great sport fish, but far from god's greatest gift. there are only a handful of people who target permit anywhere in the overall scheme of saltwater fishing, they are frequently encountered while pursuing other fish such as tarpon or bonefish, and in only certain parts of south florida that i don't think they contribute much to the overall numbers, that's all i was saying.

    Anybody Want Some Grilled Permit? Tim Romano 2008

  • I've always wanted to catch a tarpon, redfish, permit and snook on a fly.

    The Three-Day Cutt Slam... 2009

  • My largest fish on fly is #150 tarpon, but the marsh has not given up a catch like this one on my rod!

    My Biggest Fish Ever: The Swamp Donkey 2009

  • My list has alot of destination species, tarpon, dorado, permit, rooster fish, mostly salty stuff.

    The Three-Day Cutt Slam... 2009

  • I've always wanted to catch a tarpon, redfish, permit and snook on a fly.

    The Three-Day Cutt Slam... 2009

  • My largest fish on fly is #150 tarpon, but the marsh has not given up a catch like this one on my rod!

    My Biggest Fish Ever: The Swamp Donkey 2009

  • My list has alot of destination species, tarpon, dorado, permit, rooster fish, mostly salty stuff.

    The Three-Day Cutt Slam... 2009

  • Baring one tarpon (which doesn't really count) this was the biggest fish I have ever landed.

    My Biggest Fish Ever: The Swamp Donkey 2009

Comments

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  • "...Fish in gleaming plenty: tarpon, cavallies, mullets, snappers, yellowtails, old-maids, ten-pounders (thought rather coarse, said Square, but nourishing), and of course great heaps of oysters."

    --P. O'Brian, The Commodore, 203

    March 18, 2008