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

This makes them a favorite trout spoon, but in sizes ranging from 1/16 to 11/4 ounce, they�re suitable for everything from panfish to steelhead and stripers.

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