definitions

whitefish

[ hwahyt-fish, wahyt- ]
/ ˈʰwaɪtˌfɪʃ, ˈwaɪt- /

noun, plural (especially collectively) white·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) white·fish·es.

any of several fishes of the family Coregonidae, inhabiting northern waters of North America and Eurasia, similar to the trout but having a smaller mouth and larger scales.Compare lake whitefish, round whitefish.
a marine food fish of California, Caulolatilus princeps.
any of various silvery fishes of the minnow or carp family.
the beluga, Delphinapterus leucas.

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Nearby words

whited sepulcher, whited sepulchre, whitedamp, whiteface, whitefield, whitefish, whitefish bay, whitefly, whitefriars, whitehall, whitehead

Origin of whitefish

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at white, fish
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for white fish (1 of 2)

white fish

noun

(in the British fishing industry) any edible marine fish or invertebrate in which the main reserves of fat are in the liver, excluding herring, trout, sprat, mackerel, salmon, and shellfish

British Dictionary definitions for white fish (2 of 2)

whitefish

/ (ˈwaɪtˌfɪʃ) /

noun plural -fish or -fishes

any herring-like salmonoid food fish of the genus Coregonus and family Coregonidae, typically of deep cold lakes of the N hemisphere, having large silvery scales and a small head
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