cisco

[ sis-koh ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) cis·co, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) cis·coes, cis·cos.

1. any of several whitefishes of the genus Coregonus, of the Great Lakes and smaller lakes of eastern North America.

cisco

/ ˈsɪskəʊ /

noun

1. any of various whitefish, esp Coregonus artedi , of cold deep lakes of North America Also calledlake herring

Word History and Origins

Origin of cisco¹

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; from Canadian French, back formation from ciscoette, ciscaouette from Ojibwe; siscowet

Word History and Origins

Origin of cisco¹

C19: short for Canadian French ciscoette, from Ojibwa pemitewiskawet fish with oily flesh

Example Sentences

The salmon have grown bigger on Lake Superior this year due to large numbers of prey fish, the little cisco, being available to feed upon.

From Washington Times

The cisco was a 3-year-old female and Koel said tests determined it was born in the lake, meaning it has parents and probably “thousands of siblings.”

From Washington Times

Young cisco are good forage for Lake Audubon’s most numerous species - walleye.

From Washington Times

Green Lake is ideal habitat for the cisco and its cold-water running mate, the lake trout, two fish found in only a small percentage of the state’s more than 15,000 lakes.

From Washington Times

“For fish caught from Lake Superior … lake herring or cisco, whitefish, smaller salmon and lake trout, depending on how often they eat it.”

From Scientific American