/tun"ee/ , n. , pl. ( esp. collectively ) tunny , ( esp. referring to two or more kinds or species ) tunnies . Chiefly Brit.
tuna 1 .
[ 1520-30; by apocope tunnina false tunny, n. use of fem. of tunninus like a tunny, equiv. to tunn ( us ) tunny (var. of L thynnus thýnnos ) + -inus -INE 1 ]