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Meaning & use

bottom feeder seafood

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UK/ˌbɒtəm ˈfiːdə ˌsiːfuːd/
US/ˌbɑːtəm ˈfiːdər ˌsiːfuːd/

Meanings

  1. phraseuncountable

    Fish and shellfish that live and feed on or near the sea floor, sold or served as food.

    Grammar: Used as a mass noun phrase: bottom feeder seafood is on the menu.

    Patterns

    • bottom feeder seafood from something
    • serve bottom feeder seafood
    • catch bottom feeder seafood

    The restaurant is known for its bottom feeder seafood, especially the flounder and the clams.

    Much of the bottom feeder seafood sold here comes from cold northern waters.

    Chefs say bottom feeder seafood needs very fresh handling because it spoils quickly.

  2. phraseuncountablebusiness

    The practice or business of catching and selling fish that feed on the seabed.

    Grammar: Refers to the trade or category rather than to one item: bottom feeder seafood is a growing market.

    Patterns

    • the bottom feeder seafood market
    • the bottom feeder seafood industry
    • buy into bottom feeder seafood

    The bottom feeder seafood market has grown as buyers look for cheaper white fish.

    She wrote her thesis on the bottom feeder seafood industry in the North Atlantic.

    Prices for bottom feeder seafood rose after the new quotas were announced.

Common combinations

bottom feeder seafood market
The bottom feeder seafood market expanded quickly last year.
fresh bottom feeder seafood
The stall sells fresh bottom feeder seafood every morning.
bottom feeder seafood species
Cod and halibut are well-known bottom feeder seafood species.
catch bottom feeder seafood
Small boats still catch bottom feeder seafood along this coast.
a plate of bottom feeder seafood
He ordered a plate of bottom feeder seafood with lemon.

Synonyms and how they differ

groundfish
A fisheries term for fish that live near the seabed; it is more technical and does not include shellfish.
bottom-feeding fish
A general descriptive phrase; it names the animals rather than the food they become.
seafood
Much broader: it covers everything edible from the sea, including fish that swim near the surface.

Opposites

pelagic seafood

Word family

bottom feeder noun
An animal, especially a fish, that feeds on the seabed.
bottom-feeding adjective
Describing a fish or other animal that feeds at the bottom of the water.
seafood noun
Any sea animal eaten as food, including fish and shellfish.

Commonly confused: bottom feeder seafood or bottom feeder? bottom feeder seafood or seafood?

bottom feeder seafood vs bottom feeder

This names the animal itself, while bottom feeder seafood names the food product sold or eaten.

bottom feeder seafood vs seafood

Seafood alone can mean any edible sea creature; adding bottom feeder limits it to those that live on the seabed.

Practice

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