smallmouth bass

American  

[smawl-mouth bas] / ˈsmɔlˌmaʊθ ˈbæs /

noun

1. a North American freshwater game fish, Micropterus dolomieu, yellowish-green above and lighter below, having the lower jaw extending to the eye.

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smallmouth bass British  

/ ˈsmɔːlˌmaʊθ ˈbæs /

noun

1. a North American freshwater black bass, Micropterus dolomieu, that is a popular game fish

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Etymology

Origin of smallmouth bass

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Compare meaning

How does smallmouth-bass compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• smallmouth bass vs. largemouth bass

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

smallmouth bass

I don’t know if McKinney’s smallmouth 30 will go down like Wilt’s 100 or DiMaggio’s 56, but it’s really bonkers, and if you don’t believe me, ask a smallmouth bass.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

Fishing: At Trinity Lake, you can rent a deck boat, pontoon boat or houseboat and try your hand at catching large and smallmouth bass, rainbow trout and Kokanee salmon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2025

It’s the latest tactic in an ongoing struggle to keep non-native smallmouth bass and green sunfish at bay below the Glen Canyon Dam and to protect a threatened native fish, the humpback chub.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 18, 2023

He compared the size of this region in Dunkleosteus to the head proportions of nearly 1,000 other species of fossil and modern fish, ranging in size from smallmouth bass to large sharks.

From New York Times ● Mar. 4, 2023

Wendy Gunn says if the trout fishery is lost and smallmouth bass take over, she could imagine Lees Ferry transitioning to a haven for warm water fish.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 17, 2022