Late 16th century. Partly from Spanish pargo, properly the common sea bream, Pagrus pagrus, but applied to other fish, in combination with adjectives designating various kinds of snappers, and partly from Portuguese pargo properly the common sea bream but occasionally applied to other fish, both apparently from classical Latin pagrus (also pager, phager, phagrus) a kind of fish from ancient Greek ϕάγρος a kind of fish, of uncertain origin (perhaps from Hellenistic Greek (Cretan) ϕάγρος whetstone (of unknown origin); the fish was said by ancient etymologists to have hard teeth to facilitate its diet of oysters). Compare Catalan pagre, Occitan pagre, Middle French, French pagre, Italian pagro.