whitefish

American  

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

noun

plural

whitefish,

plural

whitefishes

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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Etymology

Origin of whitefish

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

Example Sentences

I usually get the beet salad, the truffle fries and the mac and cheese and then the blackened whitefish, which isn’t really that exciting.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2023

The realigned fishing rights affect the entire Irish industry, but the decommissioning plan applies to the whitefish fleet, which could see up to 30 percent of its vessels scrapped.

From New York Times • May 31, 2023

Most whitefish off the East coast are in a catch share.

From Salon • Jan. 1, 2023

Anti-pollution laws and government-funded cleanups made nearby rivers more hospitable to sturgeon, whitefish, beavers and native plants, such as wild celery.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 6, 2022

He told her, spreading some smoked whitefish on a cracker, that his wife resembled an actress in Bombay named Madhuri Dixit.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri