An edible fish, of species Argyrosomus regius, of the family Sciaenidae, found from the Black Sea to the eastern Atlantic.
Meagres (Argyrosomus regius, 230 cm, 103 kg) have been raised mainly in Spain, France and Italy. 2011, John S. Lucas, Paul C. Southgate, Aquaculture: Farming Aquatic Animals and Plants, unnumbered page:
1986, A. Wysokiński, The Living Marine Resources of the Southeast Atlantic, FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 178, page 48,
Among more valuable species some of them are worth mentioning, especially littoral forms as: meagres and other croakers (Sciaenidae), grunters (Pomadasyidae), threadfins (Polynemidae), groupers (Serranidae), snappers (Lutjanidae) […] .
It is striking that these represent meagres (Argyrosomus regius), a species never mentioned in classical texts. 2008, Arturo Morales-Muñes, Eufrasia Roselló-Izquierdo, “11: Twenty Thousand Years of Fishing in the Strait”, in Torben C. Rick, Jon M. Erlandson, editors, Human Impacts on Ancient Marine Ecosystems: A Global Perspective, page 261:
croaker (fish of family Sciaenidae) · drumfish (fish of family Sciaenidae) · drum (fish of family Sciaenidae) · sciaenid (fish of family Sciaenidae) · hardhead (fish of family Sciaenidae)
From Middle English megre, borrowed from Anglo-Norman megre, Old French maigre, from Latin macer, macrum, from Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ḱrós. Cognate with Old English mæġer (“meagre, lean”), Dutch mager (“lean”), German mager (“lean”), Icelandic magur (“lean”).
Meanings
(Canada, UK, common) Having little flesh; lean; thin.
[…]meagre were his looks; / Sharp misery had worn him to the bones: c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
(Canada, UK, common) Deficient or inferior in amount, quality or extent
His education had been but meagre. 1871, John Lothrop Motley, The Rise of the Dutch Republic: A History, volume 1, page 144:
Nothing will grow in this meagre soil.
It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the present rail passenger service is meagre and between Wetherby and Church Fenton almost non-existent. 1961 February, D. Bertram, “The lines to Wetherby and their traffic”, in Trains Illustrated, page 103:
Until the recent rash of North London line maps appeared on station billboards in the London area of BR, the service undoubtedly suffered from meagre and ineffectual publicity. 1964 July, “News and Comment: The Broad Street-Richmond line”, in Modern Railways, page 17:
He was given a meagre piece of cake that he swallowed in one bite.
(Canada, UK, common) Of a set: such that, considered as a subset of a (usually larger) topological space, it is in a precise sense small or negligible.
(Canada, UK, common) Dry and harsh to the touch (e.g., as chalk).
mi kōhoka (having little flesh; lean; thin) · es escuálido (having little flesh; lean; thin) · it magro (having little flesh; lean; thin) · br treut (having little flesh; lean; thin) · bg слаб (having little flesh; lean; thin) · mi kōhoka (deficient or inferior in amount, quality or extent; paltry; scanty; inadequate; unsatisfying) · bg оскъден (deficient or inferior in amount, quality or extent; paltry; scanty; inadequate; unsatisfying) · uk убо́гий (deficient or inferior in amount, quality or extent; paltry; scanty; inadequate; unsatisfying) · it scarno (deficient or inferior in amount, quality or extent; paltry; scanty; inadequate; unsatisfying) · bg беден (deficient or inferior in amount, quality or extent; paltry; scanty; inadequate; unsatisfying) · fr maigre (having little flesh; lean; thin) · gl magro (deficient or inferior in amount, quality or extent; paltry; scanty; inadequate; unsatisfying) · es enjuto (having little flesh; lean; thin) · ru бе́дный (deficient or inferior in amount, quality or extent; paltry; scanty; inadequate; unsatisfying) · ru скудный (deficient or inferior in amount, quality or extent; paltry; scanty; inadequate; unsatisfying) · gl magro (having little flesh; lean; thin) · wa maigue (having little flesh; lean; thin) · it magra (having little flesh; lean; thin) · ru то́щий (having little flesh; lean; thin) · ru недоста́точный (deficient or inferior in amount, quality or extent; paltry; scanty; inadequate; unsatisfying) · bg мършав (having little flesh; lean; thin) · it esiguo (deficient or inferior in amount, quality or extent; paltry; scanty; inadequate; unsatisfying) · ru худо́й (having little flesh; lean; thin) · mi kōhoi (having little flesh; lean; thin) · uk мізе́рний (deficient or inferior in amount, quality or extent; paltry; scanty; inadequate; unsatisfying) · es exiguo (deficient or inferior in amount, quality or extent; paltry; scanty; inadequate; unsatisfying)
From Middle English megre, borrowed from Anglo-Norman megre, Old French maigre, from Latin macer, macrum, from Proto-Indo-European *mh₂ḱrós. Cognate with Old English mæġer (“meagre, lean”), Dutch mager (“lean”), German mager (“lean”), Icelandic magur (“lean”).
Meanings
(Canada, UK, common, transitive) To make lean.
I am meagred to a skeleton; my nose is broiled to flaming heat, and I am suffering the greatest inconvenience from the loss of my baggage which I fear the enemy have taken with my servant at Konigsberg. 1862, Robert Thomas Wilson, edited by Herbert Randolph, Life of General Sir Robert Wilson, page 275: