Forms: α. 3 sturgiun, 3–4 sturgun, 4 sturgin, sturgon(n, storgon, sturgeown, 5 storgeoun, sturgyn, storgyn, 5–6 sturgyon, 5–7 sturgion, (6 -ione), 6 strogyon, struggen, 6–7 sturgian, 7 sturgen, 4– sturgeon; β. 4 sturioun, sturion, 4–5 storion, 5 storjon, storyon, storioun, sturyon, sturione, -iowne. [a. AF. sturgeon, esturgeoun etc., OF. sturg(i)un, esturgeon (mod.F. esturgeon, † éturgeon), a Com. Rom. word = Pr. esturjon, estorjon, Sp. esturion, Pg. esturião, esturjão, It. storione:—popular L. sturiōn-em (nom. sturio), a. OTeut. *sturjon-, whence OHG. sturjo, sturo (MHG. stüre, störe, mod.G. stör), MDu., MLG. störe (mod.Du. steur), OE. styrʓa, ON., mod.Norw. styrja (Sw. stör, Da. stør, are from LG.). Cf. STURE1.
The origin of OTeut. *sturjon- is obscure. If not a loan-word, it may be f. the root of SRIR v.]
1. A large fish of the family Acipenseridæ, having an elongated, almost cylindrical, body protected by longitudinal rows of bony scutes and a long tapering snout, found widely distributed in the rivers and coastal waters of the north temperate zone; esp. a fish belonging to either of the genera Acipenser and Scaphirhynchops, A. sturio being the common sturgeon of the Atlantic. It is a ‘royal’ fish (see FISH sb.1 2), esteemed as an article of food, and the source of caviar and isinglass.
α. a. 1300. Havelok, 753. He tok þe sturgiun, and þe qual, And þe turbut. Ibid., 1727. Lax, lampreys, and god sturgun.
134[?]. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 37. Et 7 pec. de sturgeon.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 627, in Babees Bk. Then kut ye þe whelk asondur,… and ley þe pecis þerof vppon youre sturgeoun.
c. 1475. Pict. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 765/20. Hic rumbus, a sturgyn.
1533. Elyot, Cast. Helthe (1539), 69 b. Greatte fyshes of the see, as thurlepole, porpyse and sturgeon.
1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. v. 143. Feast-famous Sturgeons.
1594. Extracts Munic. Acc. Newcastle (1848), 35. A cagge of struggen, 12s.
1618. J. Smyth, Berkeleys (1883), II. 435. All whale fishes, Sturgeons, and all other great and royall ffishes, in whatsoever free fishings within the river of Seavern.
1620. Venner, Via Recta, iv. 78. Sturgion is a very acceptable dish.
1677. Wood, Life (O. H. S.), II. 378. A sturgeon of 8 foot long was taken up at Clifton ferry.
1711. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 5 Sept. I ate sturgeon, and it lies on my stomach.
1769. Pennant, Zool., III. 97. The sturgeon annually ascends our rivers.
1834. Griffith, trans. Cuvier, X. 627. The sturgeon is much esteemed for food, and is said to eat like veal.
1836. Yarrell, Brit. Fishes, II. 360. Acipenser Sturio, Common Sturgeon.
1862. J. Couch, Brit. Fishes, I. 150. The head of the Sturgeons is lengthened into a snout, which is slightly turned up.
1881. Cassell’s Nat. Hist., V. 45. The Sturgeons form a small and natural group of fishes, distinguished by having a cartilaginous skeleton.
β. 13[?]. Guy Warw., 3895. Þilke lord þat … in þe se made þe sturioun.
1390. Earl Derby’s Exped. (Camden), 42. Jacobo Cremer pro ij barellis de sturion…, viij marc. viij scot.
c. 1425. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 642/7. Hic rumbus, storjon.
c. 1430. Two Cookery-bks., I. 13. Storion in brothe.—Take fayre Freysshe Storgeoun, an choppe it in fayre water.
b. With qualifying word indicating a particular species, as black, lake, Ohio, red, rock, stone sturgeon, Acipenser rubicundus, the sturgeon of the great lakes of N. America; great white, isinglass, Russian sturgeon, A. huso, the BELUGA or HUSO; small or Ruthenian sturgeon = STERLET.
1804. Shaw, Gen. Zool., V. 375. Isinglass Sturgeon. Acipenser Huso. A larger fish than the common Sturgeon…. Native of the Northern, Caspian, and Mediterranean seas.
2. Applied to other fishes.
1683. Poyntz, Pres. Prosp. Tobago, 20. The Indian Sturgeon (so called by the English) frequents the Bays.
† 3. ? A kind of cloth (? of the color of a sturgeon). Obs.
1405. Will of Culmer (Somerset Ho.). Meam optimam togam videlicet de viride et de sturgeon parti[to] cum capicio partito de sturgeon & scarlet.
1420. N. C. Wills (Surtees), 29. Jupam meam nigram bene foderatam cum grey, et capicium de sturgon.
† 4. (See quot. 1708.) Obs.
1708. Brit. Apollo, I. No. 54. 3/2. There a Custom it was, A Sturgion to call, That same Animal, which here for a Cods-head does pass. Note. A Sturgion is a Term they give one at Dublin, whom they think a fit Subject for Banter.
5. attrib. and Comb., as sturgeon oil, spawn, tribe; sturgeon-boiler, one who extracts sturgeon-oil; sturgeon glue, isinglass glue; sturgeon-head (see quot.); † sturgeon lips jocular, ? lips protruded like those of a sturgeon; sturgeon-pickle, a pickle for preserving sturgeon for food; † sturgeon voyage, ? a fishing-voyage for sturgeon.
1673. Mass. Stat. (1887), 210. The *sturgeon boyler or importer shall pay for the viewing and heading after 3s. 4d. p. score for all kegs and firkins.
1907. C. Hill-Tout, Brit. N. Amer., Far West, vii. 128. The gum of the black pine was also extensively employed for this purpose, where the *sturgeon glue was not procurable.
1892. W. Pike, Barren Ground N. Canada, 6. These inland boats … are … classified according to shape as York boats, *sturgeon-heads, and scows.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, 45. On his [Leander’s] blew iellied *sturgeon lips, she was about to clappe one of those warme plaisters.
1881. Spons’ Encycl. Industr. Arts, IV. 1376. *Sturgeon-oil is prepared in Russia from the fat surrounding the intestines of the sturgeon.
1669. Sir K. Digby’s Closet opened, 254. Put it into pickle, like *Sturgeon-pickle.
1888. Goode, Amer. Fishes, 37. *Sturgeon spawn or live minnows are used as bait.
1842. Penny Cycl., XXIII. 168/1. The Sturionidæ, or *Sturgeon tribe, have moreover but one opening to the gills.
1617. Middleton & Dekker, Roaring Girl, II. ii. E 1 b. You make as much hast as if you were a going vpon a *sturgion voyage.
