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smallmouth bass

American  
[smawl-mauth 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.


smallmouth bass British  
/ ˈsmɔːlˌmaʊθ ˈbæs /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of smallmouth bass

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85


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Example Sentences

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The fishing: The upper Potomac River near Leesburg is one of the more underrated fisheries on the East Coast, known for its smallmouth bass.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

Other fish in the lake include channel catfish and smallmouth bass.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2024

In the past, smallmouth bass were sequestered in Lake Powell behind Glen Canyon Dam, which had served as a barrier to them for years.

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

Just a few miles north of Lees Ferry and its trout fishery there’s another threat - nonnative predatory smallmouth bass.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 17, 2022

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