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smolt

[ smohlt ]
/ smoÊŠlt /
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noun
a young, silvery salmon in the stage of its first migration to the sea.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
candystring
candyfloss
candypuff
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Origin of smolt

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; perhaps akin to smelt2

Words nearby smolt

Smoky River, smoky topaz, smolder, Smolensk, Smollett, smolt, S.M.O.M., smooch, smoodge, smooth, smooth as silk
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use smolt in a sentence

  • A late sea-going smolt explains the anomaly of a spring salmon.

    The Ocean World:|Louis Figuier

  • They are then called "smolt," and are as adult salmon in all respects save size.

    Alaska|Ella Higginson

  • Shortly after assuming the smolt dress, the young salmon takes its departure to the sea.

    Amateur Fish Culture|Charles Edward Walker

  • In about fifteen months it loses these marks and becomes quite silvery, being now known as a smolt.

    Amateur Fish Culture|Charles Edward Walker

British Dictionary definitions for smolt

smolt
/ (sməʊlt) /
noun
a young salmon at the stage when it migrates from fresh water to the sea

Word Origin for smolt

C14: Scottish, of uncertain origin; perhaps related to smelt ²
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
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