Meaning & use
tuna
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
a large sea fish that people catch for food, or the meat from this fish.
Grammar: The plural is usually tuna: two tuna, not two tunas. As food, it is uncountable: a can of tuna.
Patterns
- a can of tuna
- tuna salad
- fresh tuna
We had grilled tuna with rice for dinner.
She opened a can of tuna for lunch.
The boat brought back three tuna.
nouncountabletechnical
one of several related kinds of large sea fish, especially in the genus Thunnus.
Grammar: When talking about different species, the plural tunas is used: several tunas live in these waters.
Patterns
- a species of tuna
- bluefin tuna
Bluefin tuna is one of the most valuable fish in the world.
Scientists studied how tunas migrate across the ocean.
Word forms
| plural | tuna |
|---|---|
| plural (species) | tunas |
Common combinations
- tuna fish
- He made a tuna fish sandwich for lunch.
- canned tuna
- Canned tuna is cheap and easy to store.
- tuna steak
- The restaurant serves a delicious tuna steak.
- tuna salad
- She mixed tuna salad with celery and mayonnaise.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tunny
- An older British word for tuna; it is now rare and mostly used in historical texts.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
The usual plural of tuna is tuna, so 'two tuna' is correct. 'Tunas' is only for different species, and 'tuna fish' is a singular phrase, not a plural.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tuna”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.