bluegill

American  

[bloo-gil] / ˈbluˌgɪl /

noun

1. a freshwater sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus, of the Mississippi River valley, used for food.

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bluegill British  

/ ˈbluːˌɡɪl /

noun

1. a common North American freshwater sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus : an important food and game fish

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Etymology

Origin of bluegill

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; blue + gill ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bluegill

Fish species affected included largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, flathead catfish, and stocked species such as brown trout and rainbow trout.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 18, 2026

He said Beckstrom loved to hunt and fish for bass and bluegill and ride four-wheelers on trails through the mountains.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 29, 2025

They take every opportunity to carb up for the exhausting spawn, devouring bait fish, crawdads and, if lucky, a related family member, the bluegill.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2022

Bream and bluegill are good using live worms and power bait pellets.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 21, 2020

I even snagged my first fish, a tiny bluegill.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry