smallmouth bass

noun

small·​mouth bass ˈsmȯl-ˌmau̇th- 

: a black bass (Micropterus dolomieu) of clear rivers and lakes that is bronzy-green above and lighter below and has the vertex of the angle of the jaw falling below the eye

called also smallmouth, smallmouth black bass

Illustration of smallmouth bass

Examples of smallmouth bass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lake Oahe is one of the largest reservoirs in the U.S., some 231 miles long and is home to some of the best walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in the country. —Chris Dorsey, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024

Roving like hungry jackals, smallmouth bass will move down and along drop-offs, hunting for the holdout crayfish, leeches, and insects along their way. —Kubie Brown, Outdoor Life, 3 Oct. 2024

Glen Canyon Dam managers will flush cold water from deep in Lake Powell into the Colorado River to help prevent invasive smallmouth bass from colonizing the Grand Canyon, federal officials announced Wednesday. —Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 3 July 2024

Then, in 2022, biologists discovered hundreds of young smallmouth bass in the stretch of the river between the dam and Lees Ferry, portending a potentially catastrophic invasion if those fish were able to reproduce and stock the entire canyon with bass. —Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 3 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

smallmouth bass

noun

small·​mouth bass ˌsmȯl-ˌmau̇th- 

: a black bass that lives in clear rivers and lakes and is bronze green above and lighter below

called also smallmouth black bass