panfish

American  

[pan-fish] / ˈpænˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

panfishes,

plural

panfish

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

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Etymology

Origin of panfish

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

Example Sentences

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

The gunner's resort, "Bower's Beach Hotel," furnished an excellent supper of oyster fritters, panfish, and fried pork-scrapple.

From Voyage of the Paper Canoe; a geographical journey of 2500 miles, from Quebec to the Gulf of Mexico, during the years 1874-5 by Bishop, Nathaniel H. (Nathaniel Holmes)