noun
Lafayette
la-fee-EHT
noun
1
A silvery coastal fish (also called the spot or goody) common along the southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States.
"Fishermen along the pier were reeling in lafayette all afternoon."
name
1
The Marquis de Lafayette, a French nobleman who fought alongside the Americans in the Revolutionary War and is honored as a hero in both countries.
"Lafayette's statue stands near the White House in his memory."
How to Use Lafayette
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMostly a historical name (the Marquis de Lafayette) and the source of many US place names; also, less commonly, a small Atlantic fish.
Word Forms
Lafayettes plural, lafayettes plural, LaFayettes plural
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Etymology
From an Occitan-derived French surname meaning roughly "the little beech tree"; the many American towns named Lafayette honor the Marquis directly.