halibut
noun
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Among the different kinds of fish found in the world’s oceans is a group called the flatfish. Flatfish are well named, for they have flattened bodies with both eyes on the upper side of the head. In Middle English the word for flatfish was butte. During the Middle Ages, fish was often eaten on holy days in place of meat. The most popular fish for the holy days was the largest variety of flatfish, or “butte.” Thus, this particular fish came to be called in Middle English halybutte, meaning literally “holy flatfish,” from haly, a form of holy, and butte. In modern English the spelling has been changed to halibut.
Examples of halibut in a Sentence
Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 May 2025
Food offerings involve an omelet station, waffles, seafood, breakfast meats, acai bowls, salads, lamb, a New York strip loin, halibut and various desserts.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2025
The meal arrived and the Benedict was piled high with an impressive assortment of sea creatures: small scallops, lump crab, shrimp and chunks of halibut.
—Leslie Kelly, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
The menu takes guests on a culinary journey through Appalachia and the South with dishes like smoked trout hush puppies and roasted halibut with grits and andouille vinaigrette.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Halibut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/halibut. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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halibut
noun
Middle English halybutte, literally, "holy flatfish," from haly "holy" and butte "flatfish"; so called from the fact it was regularly eaten on holy days
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