any large marine serranid fish of the genus Epinephelus and related genera, of warm and tropical seas
Also called: garoupa
Word origin
C17: from Portuguese garupa, probably from a local word in South America
groper in American English1
(ˈɡroupər)
noun
a person or thing that gropes
Word origin
[1560–70; grope + -er1]This word is first recorded in the period 1560–70. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: acute, clinch, ellipsis, event, segment-er is a suffix used in forming nouns designating persons from the object of their occupationor labor (hatter; tiler; tinner; moonshiner), or from their place of origin or abode (Icelander; southerner; villager), or designating either persons or things from some special characteristic or circumstance(six-footer; three-master; teetotaler; fiver; tenner)
groper in American English2
(ˈɡroupər)
noun
a large, purplish food fish, Achoerodus gouldii, inhabiting waters off Australia and New Zealand, characterized by an enormous gape
Word origin
[appar. alter. of grouper1, perh. by assoc. with grope]