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Definition of john dory
john dory
Plural:John Dorys
john dory Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
9
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
An edible, laterally compressed marine fish (Zeus faber) possessing a large, distinctive dark spot on each side of its olive-yellow body, widely distributed in the coastal waters of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australasia.
Example
"The chef prepared a beautifully pan-seared John Dory, serving the delicate fillets alongside a buttery lemon sauce."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for john dory• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The term 'dory' derives from the Middle French 'dorée', meaning 'gilded', in reference to the fish's coppery-gold coloration. The addition of 'John' is of uncertain origin, but is thought to be an arbitrary familiar application of a common given name.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of John dory. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/john dory