from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Bonito \Bo*ni"to\ (b[-o]*n[=e]"t[-o]), n.; pl. {Bonitoes}
(-t[-o]z). [Sp. & Pg. bonito, fr. Ar. bain[imac]t and
bain[imac]th.] [Often incorrectly written {bonita}.] (Zool.)
1. A large tropical fish ({Orcynus pelamys}) allied to the
tunny. It is about three feet long, blue above, with four
brown stripes on the sides. It is sometimes found on the
American coast.
[1913 Webster]
2. any of a variety of scombroid fishes of the genera {Sarda}
or {Euthynnus}, with a size intermediate between those of
the smaller mackerels and the tunas. It is applied
especially to the {skipjack tuna} ({Euthynnus pelamis},
syn. {Katsuwonus pelamis}, formerly {Sarda Mediterranea},
also called {skipjack}) of the Atlantic, an important and
abundant food fish on the coast of the United States, and
({Sarda Chilensis}) of the Pacific, and other related
species. These are large and active fishes, of a blue
color above and silver below, with black oblique stripes.
--MW10
[1913 Webster +PJC]
3. The medregal ({Seriola fasciata}), an edible fish of the
southern part of the United States and the West Indies.
[1913 Webster]
4. The cobia or crab eater ({Elacate canada}), an edible fish
of the Middle and Southern United States.
[1913 Webster]