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steelhead

American  
[steel-hed] / ˈstilˌhɛd /

noun

steelheads, plural steelhead plural
  1. a silvery rainbow trout that migrates to the sea before returning to fresh water to spawn.


steelhead British  
/ ˈstiːlˌhɛd /

noun

  1. a silvery North Pacific variety of the rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri )

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of steelhead

First recorded in 1580–90; steel + head

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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.

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In an accompanying statement, the groups argued the rule changes could immediately harm wildlife including Florida manatees, grizzly bears, salmon and steelhead fish, bird species like rufa red knots and golden-cheeked warblers, and insect pollinators.

From Barron's Jul. 14, 2026

Rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species, but with different lifestyles.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 9, 2026

Scientists feared the Santa Monica Mountains’ last remaining steelhead trout were dead, smothered by debris flows unleashed by the Palisades fire.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 9, 2026

However, they can migrate to the ocean and become steelhead, where they typically grow larger before returning to their natal waters to spawn.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 9, 2026

Soon salmon and steelhead and trout from the Dungeness made their way up the irrigation ditch and gathered in schools in the pond.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Twice, he and Bill maneuvered leaping steelheads into nets.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 29, 2024

Unlike salmon, which are part of the same family, steelheads often spawn multiple times before they die.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 23, 2024

While tribal members can sell kings for $8 per pound, they do not sell steelheads, mainly just using them for food.

From New York Times Jun. 11, 2018

Living in his car and on boats, his entire existence hanging on the whim of silvery steelheads and the hatching pattern of mayflies.

From Washington Post Jan. 1, 2018

The clear tree-fringed lakes and rivers are filled with speckled trout and steelheads, pike and pickerel and whitefish.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford

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