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Definition of grunion

grunion

/ˈɡrʌnjən/
grun · ion
Plural:grunions
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grunion Lexical Profile

grunion Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

American A small, silvery marine fish of the silverside family, native to the coastal waters of southern California and Baja California, renowned for its unique reproductive behavior of coming entirely out of the water to spawn on sandy beaches during high nocturnal tides.

Example

"During the summer run, locals gathered on the beach at midnight with flashlights to catch the grunion by hand as they washed ashore."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for grunion

• Rhymes for grunion

• Nearby Words

grunge
grunginess
grungy
grunion
grunt
gruyere
guabiroba

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from American Spanish 'gruñón' (meaning 'grunter'), from Spanish 'gruñir' (to grunt), originating from the Latin 'grunnire'. The name likely refers to a faint squeaking or grunting noise made by the fish when spawning.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Grunion. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 6, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/grunion
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