whitefish

American  

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

noun

whitefish, plural 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

Noun Inflected Forms

• whitefish
  plural
• whitefishes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of whitefish

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

whitefish whitefishes

Our research has identified a link between those two developments, which means that trout, bass, perch and whitefish may become less common in unstocked lakes.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026

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

Jim Johnson, a retired Michigan DNR fisheries biologist who submitted an affidavit supporting the sport fishing coalition, said expanded gill netting could cause further drop-offs of whitefish and lake trout.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 24, 2023

In one 300-yard length of shoreline, 600 dead fish were counted, including brown trout, whitefish, and suckers.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

In general appearance and habits, it resembles the northern lake whitefishes and trout.

From The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary Section T, U, V, and W by Project Gutenberg