capelin

[ kap-uh-lin ]

/ ˈkæp ə lɪn /

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noun

either of two small fishes of the smelt family, Mallotus villosus, of coastal North American waters, or M. catervarius, of the North Pacific.

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Also caplin.

Origin of capelin

1610–20, Americanism;<Middle French capelan<Old Provençal: codfish, literally, chaplain

Words nearby capelin

Cape Horn Current, Cape Horn fever, Cape jasmine, Čapek, capelet, capelin, capeline, capeline bandage, Capella, capelli d'angelo, capellini

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use capelin in a sentence

Humpback whales congregate in these areas to feed upon the summer blooms of euphausiids, herring, and capelin.
Humpback Whales in Glacier Bay National Monument, Alaska|United States Department of Commerce, Marine Mammal Commission
Minke whales feed primarily on small shoal fish (herring, cod, pollack, and capelin).
Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic|Stephen Leatherwood
Spring and summer concentrations along the Canadian coast correspond to concentrations of capelin, cod, and herring.
Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic|Stephen Leatherwood
Belugas feed on a variety of fishes (including cod and capelin), on squid, and on a variety of benthic crustaceans.
Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic|Stephen Leatherwood

Malcolm had many friends and there had been great preparations in Capelin Bay.
Labrador Days|Wilfred Thomason Grenfell

British Dictionary definitions for capelin

capelin

caplin

/ (ˈkæpəlɪn) /

noun

a small marine food fish, Mallotus villosus, occurring in northern and Arctic seas: family Osmeridae (smelts)

Word Origin for capelin

C17: from French capelan, from Old Provençal, literally: chaplain

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012