Tu·na, n.
 1. Zool. Any one of several species of large oceanic fishes belonging to the mackerel family Scombridae, especially the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus, formerly Orcynus thynnus or  Albacora thynnus), called also the common tunny or great tunny, a native of the Mediterranean Sea and of temperate parts of the Atlantic Ocean.  It sometimes weighs a thousand pounds or more, and is caught commercially in large quantity for use as food; -- also called, especially in Britain, tunny.  It is also one of the favorite fishes used by the Japanese in preparing sushi.  On the American coast, especially in New England, it is sometimes called the horse mackerel.  Another well-known species is the yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) of warm seas. the See Illust. of Horse mackerel, under Horse.
 Note: The little tunny (Gymnosarda alletterata) of the Mediterranean and North Atlantic, and the long-finned tunny, or albacore (Thunnus alalunga) (see Albacore), are related species of smaller size.
 2. The bonito, 2.
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 Tun·ny n.; pl. Tunnies   Zool. The chiefly British equivalent of tuna; any one of several species of large oceanic fishes belonging to the Mackerel family, especially the common or great tunny (Thunnus thynnus syn. Albacora thynnus, formerly Orcynus thynnus) native of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.  It sometimes weighs a thousand pounds or more, and is extensively caught in the Mediterranean.  On the American coast it is called horse mackerel. See Illust. of Horse mackerel, under Horse. [Written also thynny.]
 Note: ☞ The little tunny (Gymnosarda alletterata) of the Mediterranean and North Atlantic, and the long-finned tunny, or albicore (Thunnus alalunga, see Albacore), are related species of smaller size.
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 Al·ba·core n. Zool. A name applied to several large fishes of the Mackerel family (Scombridae), esp. Thunnus alalunga (formerly Orcynus alalonga); it is a type of tuna or tunny.  The name has been also applied to a larger related species, Thunnus thynnus (formerly Orcynus thynnus), common in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, which is called in New England the horse mackerel. [formerly spelled albicore.]
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 Thunnus thynnus
      n : largest tuna; to 1500 pounds; of mostly temperate seas: feed
          in polar regions but breed in tropics [syn: bluefin, bluefin
          tuna, horse mackerel]