burbot

burbot — noun

1. a slender fish with a long body that lives on the bottom of cold rivers and lake

1.nounC2
Definition

a slender fish with a long body that lives on the bottom of cold rivers and lakes across the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. It belongs to the cod family and has small whisker-like growths near its mouth.

Example

Olavi pulled a two-foot-long burbot up through a hole in the ice on Lake Inari.

fishing context: caught through ice

The team caught several burbot in a net and recorded their length before releasing them.

plural unchanged; scientific field study

Common collocations
  • catch a burbot
  • burbot population
  • burbot liver
  • burbot species
  • Arctic burbot
Synonyms
  • eelpout

    informal alternative name; less precise scientifically

Grammar Patterns

a burbot / the burbot / burbot (plural)

Usage Note

The plural is also 'burbot' (no change). This fish is sometimes called 'eelpout' in informal speech.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Burbot is the standard common name for Lota lota, the only freshwater cod species. 'Eelpout' is an informal folk name that can also refer to unrelated saltwater fish in the Zoarcidae family, so it is less precise. True cod (genus Gadus) live in saltwater, while ling refers to a different marine fish (Molva molva). Choosing 'burbot' in formal writing avoids confusion with these other fish.

burbot ↗eelpoutcod ↗ling ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • burbot fishing
  • burbot liver oil
  • burbot distribution

Etymology

Old FrenchEnglish

The word comes from Old French 'burbot' or 'bordot', of uncertain origin. It may be related to 'bourbe' (mud), referring to the fish's habit of living on muddy riverbeds. The scientific name Lota lota comes from the Latin 'lota' (a fish name, possibly from an old French word for 'otter', because the fish's whiskers resemble otter whiskers).