walleye

American  

[wawl-ahy] / ˈwɔl aɪ /

noun

walleyes, plural walleye plural

1. Also called walleyed pike, jack salmon.  a large game fish, Stizostedion vitreum, inhabiting the lakes and rivers of northeastern North America; pikeperch.

2. any of various other fishes having large, staring eyes.

3. an eye characteristic of a walleyed person or animal.

4. Military. Walleye, a series of television-guided bombs with high-explosive warheads, in production since the 1960s.

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walleye British  

/ ˈwɔːlˌaɪ /

noun

1. a divergent squint

2. opacity of the cornea

3. an eye having a white or light-coloured iris

4. (in some collies) an eye that is particoloured white and blue

5. Also called: walleyed pike.  a North American pikeperch, Stizostedion vitreum, valued as a food and game fish

6. any of various other fishes having large staring eyes

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• walleyed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• walleye
  plural
• walleyes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of walleye

First recorded in 1515–25; back formation from walleyed

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

walleye walleyes

We believe that’s because walleye, for example, have a specialized retina that helps them see in browner waters with poorer visibility.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026

The big worry now is that the carp are migrating closer to the Great Lakes, where they could endanger the walleye, bass and trout that support the region’s $5 billion fishing industry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026

A 14-year-old Minnesota boy was out fishing for walleye on the state’s Lake of the Woods when he dredged up something else — a wallet containing $2,000 in wet, mossy cash.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 23, 2023

In 2016, the Toronto Star reported that mercury levels in walleye fish in Clay Lake were 90 times higher than the recommended levels of daily intake for pregnant women set by the U.S.

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2023

She gave us the walleye and said, “Dinner in an hour.”

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

The sky was blue and the waters flat and calm, perfect conditions for them to explore the shallows of the bay and look for walleyes, large-eyed game fish common in Lake Michigan.

From New York Times ● Dec. 18, 2023

She had two walleyes hanging by their lips over a fire outdoors, and a pile of chores to do before they left the next day.

From New York Times ● Jan. 21, 2020

The closure, first announced in March, is meant to prevent walleyes from dying after being caught and released, a tendency called hooking mortality, which increases as the water warms.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 5, 2017

“The ones that we take today are going to impact the production of walleyes next year.”

From Washington Times ● Aug. 5, 2015

Desborough was a stout, bull-necked man, of middle-size, with heavy vulgar features, grizzled bushy eyebrows, and walleyes.

From Woodstock; or, the Cavalier by Scott, Walter, Sir