salmon

American  

[sam-uhn] / ˈsæm ən /

noun

plural

salmons,

plural

salmon

1. a marine and freshwater food fish, Salmo salar, of the family Salmonidae, having pink flesh, inhabiting waters off the North Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America near the mouths of large rivers, which it enters to spawn.

2. landlocked salmon.

3. any of several salmonoid food fishes of the genus Oncorhynchus, inhabiting the North Pacific Ocean.

4. a light yellowish-pink.

---

adjective

1. of the color salmon.

salmon British  

/ ˈsæmən /

noun

1. any soft-finned fish of the family Salmonidae, esp Salmo salar of the Atlantic and Oncorhynchus species (sockeye, Chinook, etc) of the Pacific, which are important food fishes. They occur in cold and temperate waters and many species migrate to fresh water to spawn

2. any of several unrelated fish, esp the Australian salmon

3. short for salmon pink

---

Other Word Forms

• salmonlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of salmon

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English salmoun, samoun, from Anglo-French from Old French saumon, or directly from Latin salmōn-, stem of salmō

Example Sentences

He orders the same salmon and brown rice at restaurants.

From Salon

Scottish salmon has retained its position as the UK's biggest food export, while exports of Scotch whisky have dropped, according to new figures.

From BBC

That makes you a salmon rather than a tilapia, only you no longer have to swim upstream.

From MarketWatch

I start filling my own plate with anything that will fit—salmon skewers, cubed potatoes, roasted corn, and garlic bread.

From Literature

The Severn Estuary is home to huge numbers of sprats and salmon, and the twaite shad, a protected migrating species which spawns in the tributaries of the River Severn.

From BBC

Related Words

• cardinal
• coral
• crimson
• flaming
• glowing
• maroon
• rose
• wine