trout

American  

[trout] / traʊt /

noun

plural

trout,

plural

trouts

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

• troutless adjective
• troutlike adjective

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

Compare meaning

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

• steelhead vs. trout

Example Sentences

The waterways that figure so prominently in the story—the Madison, among them—are aboil with trout.

From The Wall Street Journal

He cut a hole in the ice near the riverbank and caught eight big trout, more than enough for the dogs and our supper.

From Literature

Not only are the waters often stocked with bass and trout, which the eagles chow down on, but they’re surrounded by trees where they nest.

From Los Angeles Times

They provided her with advice on what the otters should eat, so she went shopping and returned with salmon and trout to try and feed them.

From BBC

The selection is impressive, too, including Tasmanian trout—something I haven’t seen elsewhere.

From Salon