steelhead

American  

[steel-hed] / ˈstilˌhɛd /

noun

plural

steelheads,

plural

steelhead

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

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steelhead British  

/ ˈstiːlˌhɛd /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of steelhead

First recorded in 1580–90; steel + head

Compare meaning

How does steelhead compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• steelhead vs. trout

Example Sentences

Populations of Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, Delta smelt and other species have been declining in recent years.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025

Overhouse and other environmental advocates argue that the voluntary deals struck by major water suppliers would be disastrous for threatened and endangered fish, including salmon, steelhead, green sturgeon, longfin smelt and Delta smelt.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2025

The Palisades fire that sparked Jan. 7 tore through the area, scorching all of the critical habitat for the gobies and an endangered population of steelhead trout that occupied the same watershed.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2025

Wildlife officials feared critically endangered steelhead trout rescued from the Palisades fire burn scar might not be up for spawning after all they’d been through over the last few months.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2025

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