rainbow trout

noun

: a large stout-bodied salmonid fish (Oncorhynchus mykiss synonym Salmo gairdneri) of western North America that is related to the Pacific salmon and is typically greenish above and white on the belly with a pink, red, or lavender stripe along each side of the body and with profuse black dots compare steelhead

Illustration of rainbow trout

Illustration of rainbow trout

Examples of rainbow trout in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Both brown and rainbow trout can be found at depths of 15 to 20 feet and are especially active in late winter and early spring. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2025 This includes native fish like cutthroat and rainbow trout, along with the European brown trout that were introduced here during the late 19th century. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 20 Feb. 2025 Steelhead trout are the same species as rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, but unlike their freshwater-dwelling relatives, steelheads spend much of their lives feeding in the ocean and return to their natal streams to spawn. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025 Fish kept in hatcheries will provide 378,000 brook trout eggs, 448,000 lake trout eggs, 2.6 million brown trout eggs and 1.5 million rainbow trout eggs. Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press, 19 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for rainbow trout

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rainbow trout was in 1880

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Cite this Entry

“Rainbow trout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rainbow%20trout. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

rainbow trout

noun
: a large trout native to western North America that usually has red or pink stripes with black dots on its sides compare steelhead

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