kelt

[ kelt ]

/ kɛlt /

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noun

a salmon that has spawned.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of kelt

1300–50; Middle English (north) < ?

Words nearby kelt

kelpie, kelpy, Kelsey, Kelso, kelson, kelt, kelter, Kelvin, Kelvin, Lord, Kelvin scale, kelyphitic rim

Other definitions for kelt (2 of 2)

Kelt

[ kelt ]

/ kɛlt /

noun

Celt.

OTHER WORDS FROM Kelt

Keltic, noun, adjectiveKelt·i·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use kelt in a sentence

Bull trout very rarely takes fly or bait of any kind, except when it is in the kelt state, when it is ravenous.
The Rivers of Great Britain: Rivers of the East Coast|Various
"I thought a kelt was a kind of a no-weel fish," he interposed.
Huntingtower|John Buchan
The lager-drinking Irishman in a few generations will be a new type of humanity—the Kelt at his best.
The Damnation of Theron Ware|Harold Frederic
She always impresses me as a sort of atavistic idealization of the old Kelt at his finest and best.
The Damnation of Theron Ware|Harold Frederic

An old "kelt" salmon has been seen to devour fifty of his own progeny for breakfast; and the pike is a greater water-wolf still.
Poachers and Poaching|John Watson

British Dictionary definitions for kelt (1 of 2)

kelt

/ (kɛlt) /

noun

a salmon that has recently spawned and is usually in poor condition

Word Origin for kelt

C14: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for kelt (2 of 2)

Kelt

/ (kɛlt) /

noun

a variant of Celt

Derived forms of Kelt

Keltic, adjectiveKeltically, adverbKelticism, nounKelticist or Keltist, noun

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