fish ladder

American

noun

a series of ascending pools constructed to enable salmon or other fish to swim upstream around or over a dam.

fish ladder British

noun

a row of ascending pools or weirs connected by short falls to allow fish to pass barrages or dams

"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

Etymology

Origin of fish ladder

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

fish ladder

The coho salmon has already conquered the Ballard Locks fish ladder, swum 17 miles through urban Seattle waterways and powered through a tunnel under nine lanes of Interstate 405.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 10, 2024

During and after the record-breaking heat wave of 2021, dead salmon were observed in the Locks’ fish ladder.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 18, 2024

Readers lauded the beautiful setting and Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Garden, getting to watch boats enter the massive holding chamber, the fish ladder, the informative visitors center and nearby food options.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2023

The windows at the fish ladder at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks are shimmering with fish.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 18, 2023

About a dozen state and tribal workers have been stationed at the Locks fish ladder every day this past week, watching and waiting for the sockeye to return.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 2, 2022

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023