sturgeon
(ˈstɜːdʒən)
Forms: α. 3 sturgiun, 3–4 sturgun, 4 sturgin, sturgon(n, storgon, sturgeown, 5 storgeoun, sturgyn, storgyn, 5–6 sturgyon, 5–7 sturgion, (6 -ione), 6 strogyon, struggen, 6–7 sturgian, 7 sturgen, 4– sturgeon; β. 4 sturioun, sturion, 4–5 storion, 5 storjon, storyon, storioun, sturyon, sturione, -iowne.
[a. AF. sturgeon, esturgeoun etc., OF. sturg(i)un, esturgeon (mod.F. esturgeon, † éturgeon), a Com. Rom. word = Pr. esturjon, estorjon, Sp. esturion, Pg. esturião, esturjão, It. storione:—popular L. sturiōn-em (nom. sturio), a. OTeut. *sturjon-, whence OHG. sturjo, sturo (MHG. stüre, störe, mod.G. stör), MDu., MLG. störe (mod.Du. steur), OE. styrᵹa, ON., mod.Norw. styrja (Sw. stör, Da. st{obar}r, are from LG.). Cf. sture1.
The origin of OTeut. *sturjon- is obscure. If not a loan-word, it may be f. the root of stir v.]
1. A large fish of the family Acipenseridæ, having an elongated, almost cylindrical, body protected by longitudinal rows of bony scutes and a long tapering snout, found widely distributed in the rivers and coastal waters of the north temperate zone; esp. a fish belonging to either of the genera Acipenser and Scaphirhynchops, A. sturio being the common sturgeon of the Atlantic. It is a ‘royal’ fish (see fish n.1 2), esteemed as an article of food, and the source of caviar and isinglass.
| α a 1300 Havelok 753 He tok þe sturgiun, and þe qual, And þe turbut. Ibid. 1727 Lax, lampreys, and god sturgun. 134. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees) 37 Et 7 pec. de sturgeon. c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 627 in Babees Bk., Then kut ye þe whelk asondur,..and ley þe pecis þerof vppon youre sturgeoun. c 1475 Pict. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 765/20 Hic rumbus, a sturgyn. 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1539) 69 b, Greatte fyshes of the see, as thurlepole, porpyse and sturgeon. 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas i. v. 143 Feast-famous Sturgeons. 1594 Extracts Munic. Acc. Newcastle (1848) 35 A cagge of struggen, 12s. 1618 J. Smyth Berkeleys (1883) II. 435 All whale fishes, Sturgeons, and all other great and royall ffishes, in whatsoever free fishings within the river of Seavern. 1620 Venner Via Recta iv. 78 Sturgion is a very acceptable dish. 1677 Wood Life (O.H.S.) II. 378 A sturgeon of 8 foot long was taken up at Clifton ferry. 1711 Swift Jrnl. to Stella 5 Sept., I ate sturgeon, and it lies on my stomach. 1769 Pennant Zool. III. 97 The sturgeon annually ascends our rivers. 1834 Griffith tr. Cuvier X. 627 The sturgeon is much esteemed for food, and is said to eat like veal. 1836 Yarrell Brit. Fishes II. 360 Acipenser Sturio, Common Sturgeon. 1862 Couch Brit. Fishes I. 150 The head of the Sturgeons is lengthened into a snout, which is slightly turned up. 1881 Cassell's Nat. Hist. V. 45 The Sturgeons form a small and natural group of fishes, distinguished by having a cartilaginous skeleton. |
| β 13.. Guy Warw. 3895 Þilke lord þat..in þe se made þe sturioun. 1390 Earl Derby's Exped. (Camden) 42 Jacobo Cremer pro ij barellis de sturion.., viij marc. viij scot. c 1425 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 642/7 Hic rumbus, storjon. c 1430 Two Cookery-bks. i. 13 Storion in brothe.—Take fayre Freysshe Storgeoun, an choppe it in fayre water. |
b. With qualifying word indicating a particular species, as
black,
lake,
Ohio,
red,
rock,
stone sturgeon,
Acipenser rubicundus, the sturgeon of the great lakes of N. America;
great white,
isinglass,
Russian sturgeon,
A. huso, the
beluga or
huso;
small or
Ruthenian sturgeon = sterlet.
| 1804 Shaw Gen. Zool. V. 375 Isinglass Sturgeon. Acipenser Huso. A larger fish than the common Sturgeon... Native of the Northern, Caspian, and Mediterranean seas. |
2. Applied to other fishes.
| 1683 Poyntz Pres. Prosp. Tobago 20 The Indian Sturgeon (so called by the English) frequents the Bays. |
† 3. ? A kind of cloth (? of the colour of a sturgeon).
Obs.| 1405 Will of Culmer (Somerset Ho.), Meam optimam togam videlicet de viride et de sturgeon parti[to] cum capicio partito de sturgeon & scarlet. 1420 N.C. Wills (Surtees) 29 Jupam meam nigram bene foderatam cum grey, et capicium de sturgon. |
† 4. (See
quot. 1708.)
Obs.| 1708 Brit. Apollo I. No. 54. 3/2 There a Custom it was, A Sturgion to call, That same Animal, Which here for a Cods-head does pass. Note. A Sturgion is a Term they give one at Dublin, whom they think a fit Subject for Banter. |
5. attrib. and
Comb., as
sturgeon oil,
sturgeon spawn,
sturgeon tribe;
sturgeon-boiler, one who extracts sturgeon-oil;
sturgeon glue, isinglass glue;
sturgeon-head (see
quot.);
† sturgeon lips jocular, ? lips protruded like those of a sturgeon;
sturgeon-pickle, a pickle for preserving sturgeon for food;
† sturgeon voyage, ? a fishing-voyage for sturgeon.
| 1673 Mass. Stat. (1887) 210 The *sturgeon boyler or importer shall pay for the viewing and heading after 3s. 4d. p. score for all kegs and firkins. |
| 1907 C. Hill-Tout Brit. N. Amer., Far West vii. 128 The gum of the black pine was..employed..where the *sturgeon glue was not procurable. |
| 1892 W. Pike Barren Ground N. Canada 6 These inland boats..are..classified according to shape as York boats, *sturgeon-heads, and scows. |
| 1599 Nashe Lenten Stuff 45 On his [Leander's] blew iellied *sturgeon lips, she was about to clappe one of those warme plaisters. |
| 1881 Spons' Encycl. Industr. Arts iv. 1376 *Sturgeon-oil is prepared in Russia from the fat surrounding the intestines of the sturgeon. |
| 1669 Sir K. Digby's Closet opened 254 Put it into pickle, like *Sturgeon-pickle. |
| 1888 Goode Amer. Fishes 37 *Sturgeon spawn or live minnows are used as bait. |
| 1842 Penny Cycl. XXIII. 168/1 The Sturionidæ, or *Sturgeon tribe, have moreover but one opening to the gills. |
| 1611 Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girl ii. ii. E 1 b, You make as much hast as if you were a going vpon a *sturgion voyage. |