What does brill mean?
The brill is a flatfish found in the northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean, scientifically known as Scophthalmus rhombus. Closely related to the turbot, it shares that fish's firm, delicate white flesh and is highly regarded in European cookery, particularly in France and Britain, where it appears grilled, pan-fried, or poached. Distinguishing a brill from a turbot can be tricky for the untrained eye: the brill has a more oval body, smoother scaleless skin, and lacks the bony tubercles characteristic of the turbot. The name also carries an entirely separate life in British slang, where 'brill' serves as a cheerful contraction of 'brilliant', expressing enthusiasm for anything excellent. This dual identity — a refined table fish and an exuberant piece of colloquial English — makes the word a small curiosity of the language.
A European flatfish (Scophthalmus rhombus), related to the turbot, with smooth dark skin and firm white flesh, valued as a food fish.
"The market had fresh brill from Cornwall that morning."
Plural unchanged in culinary use.
(British, informal) Excellent; wonderful — a shortened form of 'brilliant'.
"We had a brill time at the seaside."
Strictly colloquial; avoid in formal writing.
Like many food-fish names, 'brill' typically remains unchanged in the plural, especially when referring to the fish as food; 'brills' occasionally appears when referring to individual fish.
"The trawler brought in several brill along with the catch of turbot."
The brill is essentially the turbot's lesser-known cousin — nearly as delicious on the plate, far less famous on the menu.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brill
The fish name 'brill' entered English in the early seventeenth century, borrowed from French 'brill(e)', which may ultimately relate to a Celtic root; its precise deeper origin is uncertain. The word denotes a flatfish long caught in European coastal waters alongside the turbot. Separately, the British slang sense arose in the twentieth century as a simple clipping of 'brilliant', a word derived from Latin 'beryllus' (beryl), via Old French.
How brill is actually used
As a fish name, 'brill' is used in both singular and plural without change in culinary and commercial contexts. The informal adjective sense is distinctly British and colloquial, common in speech but rare in formal writing.
Easily confused with brill
The brill (Scophthalmus rhombus) is a closely related but distinct species from the turbot, with smoother skin and no bony tubercles.