smolt

American

[smohlt] / smoʊlt /

noun

a young, silvery salmon in the stage of its first migration to the sea.

smolt British

/ sməʊlt /

noun

a young salmon at the stage when it migrates from fresh water to the sea

"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 smolt

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; perhaps akin to smelt ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Since they can’t smolt and become steelhead, they do not have state or federal protections.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2025

On a recent morning in March, while dew was still on the road, there occurred the salmon smolt mishap of Northeast Oregon.

From New York Times • Apr. 3, 2024

The department has temporarily suspended smolt trapping at the Duckabush River.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 26, 2024

Developmental stages—the transitions between the eggs, fry, parr, smolt, and returning salmon—are governed by changes in water temperature, and warmer waters can disrupt the salmon’s life cycle by triggering stunted growth or premature hatching.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 7, 2019

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

From Amateur Fish Culture by Walker, Charles Edward

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023