trout

American  

[traut] / traʊt /

noun

• trout,
  plural
• trouts
  plural

1. any of several game fishes of the genus Salmo, related to the salmon.

2. any of various game fishes of the salmon family of the genus Salvelinus.

3. any of several unrelated fishes, as a bass, Micropterus salmoides, a drum of the genus Cynoscion, or a greenling of the genus Hexagrammos.

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trout British  

/ traʊt /

noun

1. any of various game fishes, esp Salmo trutta and related species, mostly of fresh water in northern regions: family Salmonidae (salmon). They resemble salmon but are smaller and spotted

2. any of various similar or related fishes, such as a sea trout

3. any of various fishes of the Salmo or Oncorhynchus genera smaller than the salmon, esp European and American varieties naturalized in Australia

4. informal an irritating or grumpy person, esp a woman

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• troutless
  adjective
• troutlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• trout
  plural
• trouts
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of trout

before 1050; Middle English trou ( h ) te, Old English truht < Latin tructa < Greek trṓktēs gnawer, a sea fish, equivalent to trṓg ( ein ) to gnaw + -tēs agent noun suffix

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Compare meaning

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

• steelhead vs. trout

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Explanation

A trout is a kind of fish that lives mainly in lakes and rivers. People like to eat trout, and so do eagles and brown bears. Trout are freshwater fish, although some species, including rainbow trout, divide their time between fresh water and the ocean. The coloring of an individual type of trout depends on where it lives, since its skin works as a kind of camouflage. If it's spent a few years in the ocean, a trout's skin often turns silvery. The source of the word trout is thought to be the Greek troktes, "nibbler."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trout trouts

Many migratory fish, such as trout and salmon, swim up smaller tributaries to lay their eggs in cleaner, gravel-bottomed, or cooler waters away from larger predators in the main river.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

The trout crudo, served with seasonal accompaniments, is always fresh, bright and good enough that I never really want to share it.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

“The water is so pure you can drink it,” it read, “so clean even rainbow trout will thrive in it.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

His team created deli-style versions of some of his breakfast menu, including Earl Grey prunes and crumpets with smoked trout.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

In Montana, ospreys lived in the cottonwoods all along the big rivers, where they dived on trout and whitefish.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

Experts since Friday have tried to feed the beluga with dead herrings and live trouts, with no success.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 8, 2022

Fall months producing a great bite for redfish and trouts mainly on kwigglers red and white ball tail and paddle tail.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 16, 2019

Go Team Janet – we sour old trouts need to stick together.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 28, 2012

America should realize that it is terribly hard to catch trout with just bread crumbs, especially when other countries know exactly what trouts like.

From Time Magazine Archive

School ends, and children have time to play and to fish for trouts in the brook.

From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White

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