humpback salmon

American  

noun

1. a pink salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, inhabiting North Pacific waters: so-called because of the hump that appears behind the head of the male when it is ready for spawning.

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Etymology

Origin of humpback salmon

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

humpback salmon

Also known as humpies or humpback salmon, these fish only return from the Pacific Ocean to spawn in odd-numbered years.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 22, 2023

Other studies have found freshwater acidification harms development and growth of young pink salmon, also known as humpback salmon, an important commercial and sport fishing species in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 19, 2022

Salmon they smoked in numbers, for now the run of the humpback salmon was on, replacing the earlier one of the smaller red salmon.

From The Young Alaskans by Hough, Emerson