fishhouse

English

Alternative forms

• fish house, fish-house

Etymology

From Middle English fyschehous, from Old English fisċhūs; equivalent to fish +‎ house.

Noun

fishhouse (plural fishhouses)

1. A business located at the water's edge that provides support to fishermen and which buys and then processes and onsells their catch.
   • 1975, George Zarur, Seafood Gatherers in Mullet Springs, page 87:

     It is in the fishhouse where the fishermen gather in the morning to exchange news about the weather, tides, the price of seafood, about one another and about the people who live in Mullet Springs.

   • 1986, Carolyn Ellis, Fisher Folk: Two Communities on Chesapeake Bay, page 86:

     Often they did not know until that morning whether a particular fishhouse had work.

   • 1992, United States Coast Pilot 4:

     Stumpy Point, a small town on the east side of Stumpy Point Bay, has a fishhouse where gasoline, diesel fuel, and water are available;

   • 1995, Tax Guide for Commercial Fishermen:

     It shows the receipts and expenses for each day that Frank sells to the fishhouse. The fishhouse charges for items such as ice and oil are included on the ticket and Frank receives the net payment (income minus expenses).

2. A temporary shelter belonging to an individual fisherman for use while ice fishing.
   • 1919, The Continent - Volume 50, page 1331:

     Those who expect to fish in real winter weather must have a little stove in the fishhouse.

   • 1962, Life - Volume 52, Issues 1-4, page 190:

     Everyone in town, E. A. Walter, president of the Glei wood State Bank, to the last median at the Soo Line Railroad roundhouse seems to own a fishhouse.

   • 2005, North Dakota Criminal and Traffic Law Manual, 2005:

     A person may erect, have, or maintain on the ice in any waters of this state a fishhouse, used or to be used while ice fishing, or a dark house, used or to be used for spearfishing

3. A restaurant that specializes in fish and seafood.
   • 2001, Stephen Silverman, The Eclectic Gourmet Guide to San Diego, page 97:

     Chesapeake is a California version of an East Coast fishhouse, but more comfortable and sophisticated.

   • 2008, Candace Leslie, Hidden Florida Keys and Everglades, page 176:

     On an island where chefs lean toward Caribbean cuisine, Chef Konrad Jochum presents refreshingly simple, traditional fare (a la some New England fishhouse); his plump oysters Rockefeller and seafood cream-sherry pan roasts are exquisite.

   • 2008, Bill Corsello, Shelley Gallagher, America's Top Restaurants 2009, page 56:

     River North surf 'n' turfer takes its name from the legendary Miami fishhouse and indeed serves fresh "stone crab in season" (otherwise it's frozen) along with "simple" seafood, "superb steaks" and "standout Key lime pie";

4. A business that breeds fish for aquariums, selling them either to pet shops or directly to the public.
   • 1956, Water Life and Aquaria World - Volumes 11-12, page 126:

     As does sometimes happen, one particular tank in our fishhouse supported fish and plants better than any other, so the inmates were evacuated and the young Discus introduced.

   • 1958, Fishkeeping and Water Life - Volume 13, page 336:

     I have about seven different species in my fishhouse; some of them I am afraid are more suitable for a cooler house than the one they are living in at the moment, but on the whole they are doing well.

   • 1971, The Aquarist and Pondkeeper - Volumes 36-37, page 60:

     Next morning, at 9.30 a.m. I opened the fishhouse door and eagerly looked into the tank.