whitefish

American  

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

noun

whitefishes plural

1. 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.

2. a marine food fish of California, Caulolatilus princeps.

3. any of various silvery fishes of the minnow or carp family.

4. the beluga, Delphinapterus leucas.

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whitefish British  

/ ˈwaɪtˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. 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

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• whitefish
  plural
• whitefishes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of whitefish

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English; see origin at white, fish

Example Sentences

The Order: The open-face bagel sandwich with whitefish salad, mustard, pickled peppers and dill combines classic flavors with contemporary style.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

He folds in a smoked whitefish salad — “sort of a play on a New York deli” — and talks about the cultural overlap between Italian- and Jewish-American cooking.

From Salon • Dec. 14, 2025

“I know more people are coming in here now, because I’m seeing people I’ve never seen,” said McRae, who’d just enjoyed a lunch of whitefish with squash and kasha.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

This includes salmon as well as mackerel, trout, herring, sablefish/black cod, sardines, bluefin tuna, whitefish and striped bass.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 22, 2024

Lord Wyman had brought twenty casks of fish from White Harbor packed in salt and seaweed; whitefish and winkles, crabs and mussels, clams, herring, cod, salmon, lobster and lampreys.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin