whitefish

noun

white·​fish ˈ(h)wīt-ˌfish 

1

a

: any of various freshwater salmonid food fishes (especially of genera Coregonus and Prosopium) that resemble the salmon and trout in having an adipose dorsal fin but have a smaller, often toothless mouth and that inhabit cold lakes and streams of the northern hemisphere see cisco

b

: any of various fishes (such as a menhaden or a whiting) resembling the true whitefishes

c

British : any of various market fishes with white flesh that is not oily

2

: the flesh of a whitefish especially as an article of food

Examples of whitefish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This week's Elimination Challenge was for the chefs to put their own spin on the classic Door County fish boil, with whitefish at the center and two sides to support it. —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 22 May 2024

Grab a drink at the rooftop bar, then head to dinner at Terry’s, a local favorite best known for their fish entrees (whitefish, perch or walleye made across four different preps, from meunière to almondine). —Nicole Schnitzler, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2024

Projects are underway to push back the invaders at several reefs favored by whitefish as breeding grounds. —Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 1 Aug. 2024

These ecosystem changes have disrupted the natural patterns of feeding and breeding that once kept multiple species of whitefish separate. —Richard Pallardy, Ars Technica, 30 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

whitefish

noun

white·​fish ˈhwīt-ˌfish 

ˈwīt-

: any of various freshwater food fishes related to the salmons and trouts and mostly greenish above and silvery white below