from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Tunny \Tun"ny\ (t[u^]n"n[y^]), n.; pl. {Tunnies}. [L. thunnus,
thynnus, Gr. qy`nnos, qy^nos: cf. It. tonno, F. & Pr. thon.]
(Zool.)
The chiefly British equivalent of {tuna}; any one of several
species of large oceanic fishes belonging to the Mackerel
family, especially the common or great tunny ({Thunnus
thynnus} syn. {Albacora thynnus}, formerly {Orcynus thynnus})
native of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It
sometimes weighs a thousand pounds or more, and is
extensively caught in the Mediterranean. On the American
coast it is called {horse mackerel}. See Illust. of {Horse
mackerel}, under {Horse}. [Written also {thynny}.]
[1913 Webster]
Note: The little tunny ({Gymnosarda alletterata}) of the
Mediterranean and North Atlantic, and the long-finned
tunny, or albicore ({Thunnus alalunga}, see
{Albacore}), are related species of smaller size.
[1913 Webster]