smolt

American  

[smohlt] / smoʊlt /

noun

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

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smolt British  

/ sməʊlt /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of smolt

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

Example Sentences

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

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

In an adjacent room were seven corresponding raceways filled with sockeye smolt, which had grown from eggs picked almost exactly 12 months ago.

From Washington Times • Oct. 6, 2018

Probably not more than one egg in a thousand produces a fish which reaches the smolt stage, and a still smaller proportion grows to the spawning stage.

From Amateur Fish Culture by Walker, Charles Edward