Illustration of fugu
fugu
noun
fu·gu ˈf(y)ü-(ˌ)gü 
: any of various very poisonous puffer fishes (family Tetraodontidae) that contain tetrodotoxin and that are used as food in Japan after the toxin-containing parts are removed
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web While some fish of this species are edible when handled correctly — like fugu, a delicacy in Japan — this one is not. 
Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 In fact, eating fugu is so dangerous that it was outlawed in the 16th century, though many secretly kept the tradition alive. Jessica Poitevien, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2021 Many people worry that raw-milk cheese is a kind of edible petri dish of contagion and disease, a dangerous delicacy not unlike Japanese fugu, the poisonous blowfish, which, if not prepared expertly, can kill you. Joshua Levine, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2021 The horse meat and fugu flavors are vegan, and casu marzu is vegetarian. Michelle Shen, USA TODAY, 16 Nov. 2021 There is Nippon, the stage where, since 1963, soba, fugu and other things have danced into the city’s consciousness. New York Times, 26 Oct. 2021 Indeed, the mere hint of danger — rather like eating poisonous fugu fish from a reputable sushi bar in Tokyo — may well have added to the overall exhilaration of the evening. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2021 Pumpkin toadlets are poisonous, secreting the same toxin found in fugu, or puffer fish. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 1 May 2021 What then of fugu chefs and their years devoted to training? New York Times, 4 Dec. 2020 See More
Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 In fact, eating fugu is so dangerous that it was outlawed in the 16th century, though many secretly kept the tradition alive. Jessica Poitevien, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2021 Many people worry that raw-milk cheese is a kind of edible petri dish of contagion and disease, a dangerous delicacy not unlike Japanese fugu, the poisonous blowfish, which, if not prepared expertly, can kill you. Joshua Levine, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2021 The horse meat and fugu flavors are vegan, and casu marzu is vegetarian. Michelle Shen, USA TODAY, 16 Nov. 2021 There is Nippon, the stage where, since 1963, soba, fugu and other things have danced into the city’s consciousness. New York Times, 26 Oct. 2021 Indeed, the mere hint of danger — rather like eating poisonous fugu fish from a reputable sushi bar in Tokyo — may well have added to the overall exhilaration of the evening. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2021 Pumpkin toadlets are poisonous, secreting the same toxin found in fugu, or puffer fish. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 1 May 2021 What then of fugu chefs and their years devoted to training? New York Times, 4 Dec. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Japanese
First Known Use
1909, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
fugu
noun
fu·gu ˈf(y)ü-(ˌ)gü
: any of various very poisonous puffer fish that contain tetrodotoxin and that are used as food in Japan after the toxin-containing organs are removed