tench

noun

ˈtench

plural tench or tenches

: a cyprinid fish (Tinca tinca) native to Eurasia but introduced in the U.S. and noted for its ability to survive in poorly oxygenated waters

Examples of tench in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

There's an amazing diversity of native fish native to try, including Regina carp, eel, tench, and pike. —

Gary Portuesi, Travel + Leisure, 16 Oct. 2024 Allport himself introduced English species such as tench, perch, and water lilies to Tasmania, and published 15 papers with the RST. —

Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tenche, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Late Latin tinca, of obscure origin

Note: The earliest occurrence of the Latin word tinca is in a catalog of fishes in the poem Mosella, a description of the river Moselle by the 4th-century poet and rhetorician Ausonius, born in Burgidala (Bordeaux). Tinca also occurs as a proper name in Cicero and Quintilian, applied to individuals from northern Italy. These localizations might indicate Gaulish origin, but the etymon tinca has outcomes throughout the Western Romance area, including Sardinia and southern Italy, where there was no Gaulish substratum.

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of tench was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century