piscatorial

Piscatorial is an adjective in English that means relating to fish or to fishing, and by extension to fishermen and the fishing industry. In formal or historical writing it can describe things connected with the activity of catching fish, the culture of fishing communities, or the management of fisheries.

The term derives from Latin piscator, meaning fisherman, and shares its root with related words such as piscine (relating to fish as animals) and pisciculture (the breeding and cultivation of fish). The noun form piscator or piscatorship is rare in modern usage; piscatorial is typically used to modify nouns such as “piscatorial rights,” “piscatorial fleets,” or “piscatorial traditions.”

Usage and context: Modern everyday English more commonly uses fishing or fisheries, but piscatorial appears in historical, literary, or ceremonial contexts and in legal or geographic descriptions where fishing was a primary occupation or theme. The word should not be confused with piscine, which specifically denotes characteristics of fish as creatures, or with piscatory or other similar terms that also pertain to fishing.

See also: pisciculture, piscine, piscivore, fisheries, and fisher.

Overall, piscatorial serves as a formal, somewhat archaic descriptor for anything connected with fishing or the world of fishers.