Word Study
grouper
CIDE DICTIONARY
grouper, n. [Corrupted fr. Pg. garupa crupper. Cf. Garbupa.].
One of several species of valuable food fishes of the genus Epinephelus , of the family Serranidæ , as the red grouper, or brown snapper (Epinephelus morio ), and the black grouper, or warsaw (Epinephelus nigritus ), both from Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
grouper, n. any marine fish of the family Serranidae, with heavy body, big head, and wide mouth.
Etymology
Port. garupa, prob. f. native name in S. America
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