Definitions

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

  • noun A marine food fish (Zeus faber) of the eastern Atlantic, Indian, and western Pacific Oceans, having a laterally compressed body, a black mark on each side, and long spines on the dorsal fin.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A name given in New South Wales and Tasmania to Zeus australis, of the family Zeïdæ. It is nearly the same as Zeus faber, the John-dory of Europe. Also called bastard dorey, boar-fish, and dollar-fish.
  • noun A fish: same as dory, 1.

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

  • noun An edible marine fish Zeus faber or Zeus ocellata, having long dorsal spines.

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

  • noun European dory

Etymologies

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

[The name John (after the name of the protagonist of the English ballad “John Dory,” a French privateer defeated by a Cornish sea captain) + dory.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

See Wikipedia article for possible etymologies.

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Examples

  • Once known as Saint-Pierre after a Christian legend involving St. Peter, the John Dory is a menacing looking deep sea fish from the but blessed with a delicate yet firm flesh inside that is best served as simply as possible.

    Moneycontrol Top Headlines 2009

  • "John Dory," he said, "I have come to have a few words with you."

    Peter Ruff and the Double Four 1906

  • At the Spotted Pig, warm chopped liver toast is a favorite; at the John Dory, it's anchovy and parsley; and at the Breslin, a seasonal combo of slow-cooked squash with burrata was a recent highlight.

    Mushroom Bruschetta With Arugula Kitty Greenwald 2011

  • Chef Kerry couldn't think of a counterpart and described it as a cross between John Dory and monkfish.

    Leslie Hatfield: Summer's Coolest Culinary Trend: Invasive Species Leslie Hatfield 2011

  • In a city that turns casual entertainments into competitive sport Have you been to John Dory?

    Working Hard for the Bard Pia Catton 2011

  • Chef Kerry couldn't think of a counterpart and described it as a cross between John Dory and monkfish.

    Leslie Hatfield: Summer's Coolest Culinary Trend: Invasive Species Leslie Hatfield 2011

  • Her Lausanne-based spice supplier introduced her to the ingredient, and she has created a sauce from it that she ladles over a steamed John Dory filet.

    The Illusionist of French Gastronomy Christina Passariello 2011

  • I return that evening for a superb dinner that includes carpaccio of fresh coquilles St Jacques with ginger, coriander and herring caviar, with frozen Courvoisier XO; followed by John Dory in a bouillon of champignons noirs and Shitake, accompanied by Vesper Delamain.

    A Slow Path to Perfection Lennox Morrison 2011

  • Best of the mains were fillets of John Dory on a stew of caramelised chicory and spiced polenta, carefully flavoured with orange.

    Restaurant review: Roux at Parliament Square 2010

  • Of the 330 species found around the UK, cold-water species such as cod are in retreat, while warm-water fish including red-mullet, seabass and John Dory are spreading rapidly.

    British seas: More fish, cleaner and greater biodiversity, says Defra 2010

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