panfish

American  

[pan-fish] / ˈpænˌfɪʃ /

noun

panfishes, plural panfish plural

1. any small, freshwater nongame food fish, as a perch or sunfish, usually eaten pan-fried.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• panfish
  plural
• panfishes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of panfish

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805; pan ¹ + fish

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

panfish panfishes

Sutton Lake became popular with boaters and anglers, yielding bass, crappie, bluegill and other panfish.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 27, 2020

The spill killed roughly 3,000 fish, including panfish, shad, channel catfish, bass and walleye, and forced the closure of beaches in Portage and Ogden Dunes.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 1, 2019

Hence, I have been thinking about the ungainly panfish around dinner time for a month or so now.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2019

There are three models, none of which are heavy-duty, but all are more than ample for trout, bass, or panfish.

From Time Magazine Archive

Bill," he shouted, as Dick Lee's father came within hearing,—"Bill! put a lot of your best panfish in this basket, and then go and fetch us some lobsters.

From Dab Kinzer A Story of a Growing Boy by Stoddard, William Osborn

They are also perhaps the most abundant of all panfishes in the northern half of the United States and are usually the easiest to catch, especially right around now.

From Time Magazine Archive