steelhead

[ steel-hed ]

noun

, plural steel·heads, (especially collectively) steel·head.

1. a silvery rainbow trout that migrates to the sea before returning to fresh water to spawn.

steelhead

/ ˈstiːlˌhɛd /

noun

1. a silvery North Pacific variety of the rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri )

Word History and Origins

Origin of steelhead¹

First recorded in 1580–90; steel + head

Example Sentences

In California’s Delta, there are threatened and endangered fish species, including steelhead trout, two types of Chinook salmon, longfin smelt, Delta smelt and green sturgeon.

From Los Angeles Times

Pumping to supply farms and cities has contributed to the ecological degradation of the Delta, where threatened and endangered fish species include steelhead trout, two types of Chinook salmon, longfin smelt, Delta smelt and green sturgeon.

From Los Angeles Times

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s plan for reestablishing wild, self-sustaining salmon populations in the Klamath calls for monitoring Chinook and coho salmon, as well as steelhead and lampreys, as fish gradually move into areas upriver over three or four generations during the next 12 to 15 years.

From Los Angeles Times

Brush rabbits, woodrats, Swainson’s hawks, Central Valley Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, least Bell’s vireos, greater sandhill cranes — all protected species — have found a home on the restored floodplain.

From Los Angeles Times

Biologists expect that with the dams now removed and the Klamath flowing freely, all types of native fish will benefit, including fall-run and spring-run chinook as well as coho salmon, steelhead trout and Pacific lampreys.

From Los Angeles Times